Two Sarawak Notes Graded by PMG Each Realize More than $80,000

Two rare Sarawak banknotes that are certified by Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG®) each realized over $80,000 in a recent sale. They were among hundreds of PMG-certified notes in the Spink auction that took place on October 7-8, 2023.

Topping the auction was a Sarawak, Government of Sarawak 1929 100 Dollars graded PMG 20 Very Fine (CSS96A, lot 157), which realized HKD660,000 (about $84,000). 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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Meanwhile, a Sarawak, Government of Sarawak, 1929 25 Dollars graded PMG 55 About Uncirculated (CSS96A, lot 156) realized HKD636,000 (about $81,000). Other PMG-certified notes sold in Session CSS96A and Session CSS96 B include:

• a Hong Kong 1959 500 Dollars Specimen graded PMG 62 Uncirculated (CSS96A, lot 330) that realized HKD384,000 (about $49,000)
• a Hong Kong, Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China ND(1910) 50 Dollars graded PMG 40 Extremely Fine (CSS96A, lot 340) that realized HKD240,000 (about $31,000)
• a Hong Kong 1906-09 Five Dollars Specimen graded PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (CSS96A, lot 379) that realized HKD204,000 (about $26,000)
• a China, Land Bank of China, Ltd., 1931 1 Yuan graded PMG 65 Gem Uncirculated EPQ (CSS96B, lot 1132) that realized HKD192,000 (about $25,000)
• a Hong Kong 1913-23 10 Dollars Specimen graded PMG 65 Gem Uncirculated EPQ (CSS96A, lot 385) that realized HKD156,000 (about $20,000)
• a China / People’s Republic 1953 10 Yuan graded PMG 30 Very Fine (CSS96B, lot 1090) that realized HKD132,000 (about $17,000)
• a group of three China, Industrial and Commercial Bank 1921 Specimens (1, 5 and 10 Dollars), each graded PMG 66 Gem Uncirculated EPQ (CSS96B, lot 1149) that realized HKD132,000 (about $17,000)

Prices realized include a buyer’s premium. The $ symbol represents US Dollars.