Two PMG-certified Canadian Rarities Each Realize Six Figures

Stunning Canadian currency rarities that are certified by Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG®) sold for six figures each in a September 2022 Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction. The notes are part of the Paradise Collection of banknotes from around the world.

One of the top sellers of the auction was a Dominion of Canada 1911 500 Dollars graded PMG Choice Fine 15, which sold for $240,000 (lot 40125). This extremely rare note is considered by many collectors to be one of the grails of Canadian currency. Only four examples appear in the PMG Population Report.

Click images to enlarge.

The auction also included another great rarity from the Great White North: a Canada, Bank of Canada 1935 500 Dollars – “English” graded PMG 20 Very Fine (lot 40137). This note, which features a portrait of Sir John A. Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada, sold for $102,000.

Click images to enlarge.

According to the Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Government Paper Money that was issued in 2019, only 11 copies of the note are known to be in private collections. Its low serial number of 00100 is a fancy one: It is Binary (all ones and zeros), Radar (the same forward and backward) and Rotator (the same when rotated 180 degrees).

Other PMG-certified highlights in the sale included:

• an Egypt, National Bank 1899 Pound graded PMG 20 Very Fine (lot 40213) that realized $33,600
• a Portuguese India 1924 1 Rupia Specimen graded PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (lot 40448) that realized $33,600
• a Philippines, Banco Espanol Filipino 1896 5 Pesos Remainder graded PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated (lot 40427) that realized $22,800
• an India, Reserve Bank ND (1959-70) 100 Rupees - “Persian Gulf” graded PMG 53 About Uncirculated EPQ (lot 40328) that realized $15,600
• a Nicaragua / William Walker Military Script 1856 50 Dollars graded PMG 30 Very Fine (lot 40418) that realized $15,600
• a Portuguese India 1906 50 Rupias Specimen graded PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated EPQ (lot 40447) that realized $13,800

Prices realized include buyer’s premium.