Hump Day at Feldman International Auctions
Ancient treasures and rare 19th-century bank notes earned high bids at Feldman’s October 23 sale.
The results of the October 23 Feldman International Auctions’ Silk Road Collection Part III + World Coins, Banknotes & Medals auction crafted a timeline of objects that spanned centuries. Included was currency once used on the Silk Road and later housed in the famed Vikramm Chand’s collection, such as a circa 300–200 B.C. issue that dates as one of the earliest Buddhist gold coins of Ancient India, which was bought for CHF 5,000.
But not all objects at the sale were from antiquity. For its bank note section, Feldman also ventured to 19th-century Egypt and sold some impressive pieces sourced from a Swiss private collection.
A prominent example from the sale was a June 25, 1898, Egyptian 1-pound remainder note (Pick 2r, Hanafy M1, 1 L.E.) issued by the National Bank of Egypt. This PMG Very Fine 25 note may be the only remainder of this type on the market, as a presentable grade is rare to find, and nothing similar to this issue has been documented.
An incredibly famous note of the 19th century, it was the first date of the National Bank of Egypt series. It was designed and printed by the English engraver and printer Bradbury Wilkinson and Company. The design features both a Dromedary (single humped) and a Bactrian (double humped) camel alongside a stamped “Cancelled,” with no signature or number. According to Feldman, these remainder notes, sans the signature and number, were typically destroyed; however, this example was archived, and the “Cancellation” stamp was lightened, in what the auction house believes to be a possible attempt to enter it into circulation. The estimate of the note was set at CHF 15,000–CHF 25,000, and it was sold with a winning bid of CHF 16,000.
More information about this note and the October 23 sale can be found at feldmanauctions.com.
You may also like:
