MONETARIUM SINGAPORE AUCTION #15 ON 26TH MARCH 2015

Here are some of the highlights from the recent Monetarium Singapore Auction on 26th March 2015 with realized prices. Presently collectors are having more interests in Malaya and Straits Settlements banknotes and prices are steadily rising.

Exchange rate : 2.69 from RM to SGD

Buyer's Premium : 15% live bid and 18% internet bid

SGD12,000 + 15%. 

Extremely rare piece of banknote especially without the chop. 

The first notes consigned by the Board of Commissioners of Currency Malaya were for the value of $1, $5 and $10 and dated 1st January 1940. Of these issues, a large quantity of $1 notes (1940 Green colour) and $5 notes (1940 blue colour) was despatched to Malaya before the Japanese invation on 8th December 1941 but were all seized by the Germans. 

When British forces reoccupied Singapore in Septemeber 1945, they found all the abandoned notes of this series (1940 series) except for a bundle of one thousand of the notes captured in Penang, in the vaults of the Japanese sub-treasury. Nevertheless, all stocks were destroyed in 1946, as it was feared that the notes seized by the Germans might be handed over to their Japanese allies, ready to be passed into circulation when the notes became current. There is no evidence of these notes ever reaching Malaya. During the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese government issued the famous banana notes to replace the Malayan dollar as legal tender.

British forces landed at Penang and Singapore on 3rd Septemeber 1945 and gradually reoccupied the whole of Malaya. It was decided that no value should be accorded to the Japanese banana money.

However the $10 1940 (purple colour) was uncompromised and eventually went into circulation after the war and remained legal tender until it was phased out by the new currency - 1941 $10 KGVI red colour. This banknote was in circulation for only a year.

SGD2600 + 15%.

Nice S/N Q/29 000888

SGD1400 + 15%

SGD5000 + 15%. 3pcs consecutives

SGD2400 + 15%.

VF condition with pin holes

SGD650 + 15%

SGD3000 + 15%.

Prefix A1

SGD2200 + 15%.

SGD2400 + 15%.

1916 KING EDWARDS VII scarce in high grade.

SGD2400 + 15%

1921 KING EDWARDS VII scarce in high grade.

Happy Reading,

Andrew

STRAITS SETTLEMENTS AND MALAYA BRITISH BORNEO BANKNOTES

These are my recent acquisition of Straits Settlements banknotes for my collection.

These are very scarce banknotes from the era of King Edward VII (from 1901 to 1924).

1961 Prefix Big "B" 

The 1961 Malaya British Borneo with the Prefix Big "B" are extremely scarce and it has three prefixes in the series and they are prefix Small "A" (from A/1-A/80), Big "A" (from A/81-A/99) and Big "B" (from B/1-B/6) thus the prefix Big "B" are the least and very much sought after by collectors and the price for this note command a very high premium over the other two prefixes.

This piece of banknote carry the only chinese Finance Minister signature of Tun Tan Siew Sin of Malaya before it was succeeded by Ismail Ali in 1967 under the formation of Malaysia.

Happy Reading.

Andrew

1925 $50 KING GEORGE V PMG 25NET, 1901 $5 KING EDWARD VII, 1935 $10 KING GEORGE V UNC

I have newly acquired three notes for this week and they have cost me a fortune !

They are :-

1925 $50 King George PMG 25NET

I have blogged about this magnificent piece of banknote on my previous post. You can read the previous article here ( 1925 $50 KGV ).

1901 $5 KING EDWARD VII

The first two $5 issues during the reign of Queen Victoria from 1898 to 1900 were of the same design as the other denominations throughout the series. The design of this issue from 1901 to 1924 during the reign of King Edward VII or Edwardian era are smaller in size. The reduction was implemented to better distinguish between this denomination and the $10.

Perhaps the most noticeable difference is the placement of the phase "Currency Commissioners". On the 1898 to 1900 (Queen Victoria) $5 notes, this phase is centered and the signatures are to its right, as it is the same on all the other denominations throughout the series. 

However for all subsequent King Edward VII & King George V the $5 notes, these words  "Currency Commissioners" are positioned on the right above the serial numbers and the signatures are on the center of the notes.

Note : there are three commissioners signatures on the notes during both reign (QV and KEVII).

1935 $10 King George V pristine UNC condition

This piece is really a gem in pristine UNC condition without any stains like it was just came out from the printer - Bradbury Wilkinson UK.

However the 1932 issues are the rarest for all denominations, especially the $5 dollars. The 1935 is the most common of the years, though the $5 dollars & $10 dollars issues are tough to find in uncirculated condition. The other years are quite scarce in high grades.

Happy reading !

Andrew