Russian, Canadian bank notes top auction

By Kerry Rodgers

Heritage Auctions’ Long Beach Expo World Currency Signature Auction held on Sept. 17 realized $1,002,887 from the 1,149 lots on offer. Of the 12 top-selling items, all taking in excess of $10,000, seven came from Canada and three from Russia.

Those three Russians took out the three top spots. All consisted of steel printing plates for 1918 Provisional Russian Government credit notes.

Top place went to a pair of face and back printing plates for the 100 rubles Russian Government credit note P-40. The plates were in choice condition being free of corrosion and were accompanied by an example of the printed note graded PMG Choice Uncirculated 64. All of which may explain why some keen collector was prepared to pay $51,700 for the pair.

Face and back printing plates for 1918 100 rubles Provisional Russian Government credit note P-40 that fetched $51,700 at Heritage Auction’s Long Beach sale in September. The plates represent all the design details printed in black. The face is graced by a vignette of Agriculture. The back features the state emblem of the Russian Provisional Government, a two-headed eagle over the Tauride Palace.

Second place at $44,650 went to the face printing plate for a 500 rubles Russian Government credit note P-41. And the 1,000 ruble face printing plate for P-42 took $42,300.

Leading the Canadian charge, but a little way behind the Russians at $28,200, came a Merchants’ Bank of Halifax $20 dated Jan. 1, 1898 (Ch. 465-20-18). The issued note is a discovery piece with Charlton listing it as, “no known issued notes.” The price was no doubt assisted by its grade of PMG Very Fine 20.

Top selling Canadian lot: a discovery Merchants’ Bank of Halifax $20 dated Jan. 1, 1898. Charlton lists this issue as “no known issued notes.” In PMG Very Fine 20 it sold for $28,200.

Other top-selling Canadian pieces included:

• Molsons Bank $5 (Montreal), Jan. 2 , 1900, PMG Very Fine 30: $17,625;

• Bank of Canada $1,000, Jan. 2, 1937 (serial 0000047), PMG Choice Uncirculated 63: $16,450;

• Bank of Canada $25, May 6, 1935 (English text), PMG Choice Uncirculated 64: $14,500;

• Molsons Bank $5 (Montreal), Jan. 3, 1893, PMG Very Fine 20: $11,750;

• Merchants’ Bank of Halifax $10, Jan. 2, 1896, PMG Fine 12: $10,575.

Also among top sellers was a specimen/proof of a Jordan Central Bank 50 dinars of 1994, P-32Asp. This is an unissued design available only in this form. Graded PMG Choice Uncirculated 63 EPQ it had no problems in realizing $23,500.

The choice specimen/proof of a Jordan Central Bank 50 dinars of 1994, P-32Asp, that realized $23,500 in the Heritage sale.

And an example of a very rare World War I emergency German New Guinea Treasury Note 10 marks, P-2b, had little difficulty in being bid up to $12,925 despite being somewhat faded and having spurious serial numbers “1234” added at some later date. Otherwise the note came graded PCGS Apparent Very Fine 30.

Extremely rare German New Guinea Treasury 10 marks, P-2b, issued by the victorious Australian forces in World War I that sold for $12,925 in PCGS Apparent Very Fine 30. Note the spurious “1234” serials.

This article was originally printed in Bank Note Reporter.
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• The Standard Catalog of United States Paper Money is the only annual guide that provides complete coverage of U.S. currency with today’s market prices.
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