Spink Sale Spotlights PMG-certified Sarawak Rarity

A seldom-seen note from Sarawak is among over 400 paper money rarities certified by Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG®) being offered in an upcoming Spink auction. Bidding is already underway for the Numismatic Collectors' Series sale sessions (CSS96A) and (CSS96B), which will be held October 7-8, 2023.

The top lot in the auction is a Sarawak, Government of Sarawak 1929 100 Dollars graded PMG 20 Very Fine (CSS96A, lot 157), which has an estimate of HKD550,000 to HKD800,000 (about $70,000 to $102,000). Only a handful of these notes are known, and this is the only issued example in the PMG Population Report. It is the highest denomination ever issued by Sarawak, which was ruled by British soldier James Brooke and his family for just over a century, beginning in 1841. Today, Sarawak has 3 million people and is part of Malaysia.

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In addition, the auction features many coins certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®). To learn more, click here. Additional rarities certified by NGC and PMG can be found in other sessions, including CSS96C (ending October 12), CSS96D (ending October 13), CSS96E (ending October 14) and CSS96F (ending October 15).

Other PMG-certified highlights in the auction include:

• a Sarawak, Government of Sarawak 1929 25 Dollars graded PMG 55 About Uncirculated (CSS96A, lot 156), with an estimate of HKD350,000 to HKD500,000 (about $45,000 to $64,000)
• a group of three China / People's Republic 1999 (ND 2000) 10 Yuan with consecutive serial numbers and each with a Butterfly Fold Error, graded PMG 40 Extremely Fine to PMG 55 About Uncirculated EPQ (CSS96B, lot 1291), with an estimate of HKD260,000 to HKD450,000 (about $33,000 to $57,000)
• a Hong Kong, Chartered Bank of India, Australia & China ND (1910) 50 Dollars graded PMG 40 Extremely Fine (CSS96A, lot 340), with an estimate of HKD200,000 to HKD300,000 (about $26,000 to $38,000)
• a China, Kwangtung Sat Yip Bank Private Issue 1919 1 Dollar graded PMG 20 Very Fine (CSS96B, lot 1237), with an estimate of HKD200,000 to HKD300,000 (about $26,000 to $38,000)
• a China / People's Republic 2005 50 Yuan with a Cutting Error graded PMG 40 Extremely Fine (CSS96B, lot 1293), with an estimate of HKD150,000 to HKD300,000 (about $19,000 to $38,000)
• a Hong Kong 1959 500 Dollars Specimen graded PMG 62 Uncirculated (CSS96A, lot 330), with an estimate of HKD150,000 to HKD250,000 (about $19,000 to $32,000)
• a group of five Commonwealth of Australia ND (1966-72) Specimens (1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 Dollars) graded PMG 62 Uncirculated to PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (CSS96A, lot 132), with an estimate of HKD180,000 to HKD250,000 (about $23,000 to $32,000)
• a China / People's Republic 1980 1 Yuan with a Butterfly Fold Error graded PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated (CSS96B, lot 1289), with an estimate of HKD80,000 to HKD160,000 (about $10,000 to $20,000)

All estimates are provided by the auction house. The $ symbol represents US Dollars.