Noonans Offers More PMG-certified Goon Collection Rarities from Southeast Asia
Posted on 2/24/2025
A collection of rare Southeast Asia banknotes from the Goon Collection that are certified by Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG®) are being offered in an ongoing auction. Bidding is already underway for Noonans Mayfair's The Frank Goon Reference Collection of British Malayan Banknotes Part Three, which ends on March 22, 2025.
The top highlight in the sale is a Malaya & British Borneo / British Administration 1953 1,000 Dollars graded PMG 55 About Uncirculated EPQ and pedigreed to The Frank Goon Reference Collection (lot 134), with an estimate of SGD100,000 to SGD150,000 (about $75,000 to $112,000). Dated 1953, the same year as her coronation, this high-denomination note features an early portrait of the newly crowned Elizabeth II on the front. Meanwhile, the back features an intricate design that contains the 16 coats of arms of the Federated Malay States. There is a total of only 21 of this catalog number in the PMG Population Report, and this is the sole-finest graded.
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Another highlight of the auction is a Strait Settlements ND (1919-33) 10,000 Dollars Specimen graded PMG 50 About Uncirculated NET and pedigreed to The Frank Goon Reference Collection (lot 37), with an estimate of SGD90,000 to SGD100,000 (about $67,000 to $75,000). The highest denomination of this iconic series features a prominent depiction of a tiger on the prowl at center, with the small bust of King George V just above. This extremely rare note isn't seen at auction often and is the sole example of this particular catalog number in the PMG Population Report.
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Like the other PMG-certified notes in the collection, these were encapsulated with a special PMG label highlighting their provenance to Frank Goon, the author of "The Banknotes of British Malaya." Noonans offered Part 1 of the Frank Goon Collection in March 2023, with a Singapore ND (1973) 10,000 Dollars - Replacement graded PMG 58 Choice About Unc EPQ leading the way by realizing SGD124,000 (about $93,000). Part 2 was offered in March 2024.
Other PMG-certified notes in this auction, all pedigreed to the Frank Goon Reference Collection, include:
- a Strait Settlements 1883 25 Dollars Specimen graded PMG 50 About Uncirculated (lot 23), with an estimate of SGD38,000 to SGD42,000 (about $28,400 to $31,400)
- a Strait Settlements ND (1889) 10 Dollars Specimen graded PMG 50 About Uncirculated (lot 15), with an estimate of SGD38,000 to SGD42,000 (about $28,400 to $31,400)
- a Malaya / British Administration 1942 (ND 1945) 1,000 Dollars graded PMG 35 Very Fine (lot 120), with an estimate of SGD34,000 to SGD40,000 (about $25,400 to $29,900)
- a Strait Settlements ND (1861-1903) 50 Dollars Specimen graded PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (lot 11), with an estimate of SGD32,000 to SGD40,000 (about $23,900 to $29,900)
- a Strait Settlements ND (1916-20) 50 Dollars Specimen graded PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (lot 33), with an estimate of SGD30,000 to SGD40,000 (about $22,400 to $29,900)
- a Malaya & British Borneo 1953 1,000 Dollars Specimen graded PMG 50 About Uncirculated (lot 135), with an estimate of SGD30,000 to SGD40,000 (about $22,400 to $29,900)
- a Malaya ND (1942) 10,000 Dollars Color Trial Specimen graded PMG 62 Uncirculated NET (lot 123), with an estimate of SGD32,000 to SGD38,000 (about $23,900 to $28,400)
- a Strait Settlements ND (ca. 1800s) 20 Dollars graded PMG 35 Choice Very Fine (lot 9), with an estimate of SGD30,000 to SGD36,000 (about $22,400 to $26,900)
- a Malaya / British Administration 1942 (ND 1945) 1,000 Dollars graded PMG 50 About Uncirculated (lot 121), with an estimate of SGD28,000 to SGD34,000 (about $20,900 to $25,400)
- a Strait Settlements ND (1875-1907) 50 Dollars Specimen graded PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated EPQ (lot 14), with an estimate of SGD28,000 to SGD32,000 (about $20,900 to $23,900)
Estimates are provided by the auction house. The $ symbol indicates US Dollars.
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