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HomeAuctionsPalestine Currency Board Notes Top Rosenblum Auction 44B

Palestine Currency Board Notes Top Rosenblum Auction 44B

This may be the smallest auction William Rosenblum has held in more than 20 years, with just over 635 Lots, but it is probably the best auction in terms of rarities offered that they have ever had. The Auction Closed on December 4th.

The wide ranging auction covered ancient Greek, Roman and Jewish coins in addition to a superb selection of paper money. It even included specialty collection interests of Judaic and Holy Land related material.

The Palestine coin section was impressive with the highlight being the extremely rare 1927 Double Proof Set with it’s original red leather case.

Selections from the 1927 Palestine Double Proof Set

Lot 254:  Palestine. 1927 Cased Double Proof Set. KM-PS1. We estimate that of the 34 sets produced in 1927, less than 12 have survived in private hands. 14 (2 of each denomination) choice coins. The bronze coins are choice red, the copper-nickel coins are lustrous under light toning and the silver coins are brilliant under heavier, but attractive, toning. The 14 coins are housed within a red leather cover case with the gold embossed inscription Palestine Currency Board 1927. An extremely rare item that is seldom seen, much less offered. I believe that this is the 1st offered in public sale since we sold the Howard Berlin set for just over $10,000 in 2002. A similar set sold privately about 2 years ago for about that price. This set is much nicer than that set. Perhaps the Holy Grail of Palestine coins and one of the most sought after of all Middle Eastern proof sets, this is missing in most collections. For those collectors of Palestine, Israel, Arabic, British Commonwealth, coins with more than one language (3 on these coins, Hebrew, Arabic and English) and coins with holes, this is one of the true rarities. See Howard Berlin’s The Coinage and Banknotes of Palestine, 1927-1947 pages 45-47 for even more information.

Estimate $11,000+         Sold $35,000

The paper section was be even more impressive than the coin section with a group of Israeli banknotes including numerous trials, specimens, printers proofs, color trials, provisional notes and just plain rarities. There was a set of 5 fractional notes all with matching serial numbers, a very rare 100 Pruta “inverted signature” note, two different “tintype” metal trials of the proposed 1955 notes and a most astonishing group of material, including internal correspondence, from the American Bank Note Company. Specimen notes are offered from Israel’s first five paper money issues, that is 1948, 1952, 1955, 1958-60 and 1968. I believe that is the first time that has occurred in an American auction (and perhaps worldwide).

Lot 376:  Israel. American Bank Note Company Uniface Proofs, Process notes and internal correspondence associated with both the Anglo-Palestine and Bank Leumi issues. One of the more impressive group of notes that we’ve ever offered in auction. In our Sale 32C we offered these notes individually and then again as one lot. Since most of the competitive bids were as a group, we are offering this as one lot only. In 40+ years of handling Israeli paper money, we have never seen anything like this before. Ex WMR 32C #981.

Sold a a group for $50,000

Palestine Currency Board group of 6 notes

Palestine Currency Board group of 6 notes, 2 specimens and 4 printer’s proofs for all 6 denominations as one lot. These notes were purchased  as a group sold them to our client. All Dabbah plate notes consisting of….

*410 Palestine, Palestine Currency Board. Dabbah Plate note. P-6cff, 500 Mils 20 April, 1939. Series L. Specimen. Cancelled perforated along lower center of the note. Series L 500 Mil notes were never issued as circulating notes but were printed in error from old plates in 1948! In the upper margin is the pencil inscription HH2376 23/3/48 2335 and then in the far right corner 60C. Uncirculated but mounting trace on back. Printed in error on 23 March, 1948 by TDLR and reported to the PCB the following month. See Dabbah Chapters 4 and 5 for the fascinating story about these errors. This note is pictured on page 227 of Dabbah but the photo there shows a purplish tint to the border. In reality the tint is not there. We purchased this (and the following 5 lots) from Mel and Jeremy Steinberg in January of 2003 and sold it our client later that month. Of extreme rarity . $5000+? [image a] [image b]

*411 Palestine, Palestine Currency Board. Dabbah Plate note. P-7a, PCB B2a, 1 Pound 1st September, 1927, Printer’s Proof with serial # A000000. AU, but for notations as follows. On the face in the upper margin in pencil CA 85/105 1927 and on the back in pen approved subject to amendment in script specified in Board’s letter of 7/6/27 followed by the signature of the Board’s chair, P. Ezechiel. See Dabbah pages 112 & 113 for photos of this note. Another extremely rare, seldom seen, important note. $7500+?

rosenblum_415
Palestine Currency Board. Dabbah Plate Note. P-11b, PCB B6b, 100 Pounds

*412 Palestine, Palestine Currency Board. Dabbah Plate Note. P-8a, PCB B3a, 5 Pounds 1st September, 1927, Printer’s Proof with serial # A000000. On the face in the upper margin in pen is the notation approved, subject to Board’s letter of 4/8/27 followed by the signature of the PCB secretary, H. C. Ransom. See Dabbah page 120 for a photo of this note. Another extremely rare, seldom seen, important note. AU but for small smudge on bottom margin that is mostly visible on back of note. $7500+?

*413 Palestine, Palestine Currency Board. Dabbah Plate note. P-9a, PCB B4a, 10 Pounds 1st September, 1927, Printer’s Proof with serial # A000000. On the face in the upper margin in pen is the notation approved, subject to Board’s letter of 4/8/27 followed by the signature of the PCB secretary, H. C. Ransom. See Dabbah page 120 for a photo of this note. Another extremely rare, seldom seen, important note. AU but for a few small spots on back, a barely noticeable tiny tear on bottom margin and a corner fold. $7500+?

*414 Palestine, Palestine Currency Board. Dabbah Plate Note. P-10a, PCB B5a, 50 Pounds 1st September, 1927, Printer’s Proof with serial # A000000. On the face in the upper margin in pen is the notation approved, subject to Board’s letter of 4/8/27 followed by the signature of the PCB secretary, H. C. Ransom. See Dabbah page 120 for a photo of this note. Another extremely rare, seldom seen, important note. AU but for a a tiny tear in right margin and an even smaller “tic” above the “a” in “Ransom”. All 50 Pound Palestine Currency Board notes, whether issued, specimens or proofs, whether in high grade or put together with tape are extremely rare. $20,000+

*415 Palestine, Palestine Currency Board. Dabbah Plate Note. P-11b, PCB B6b, 100 Pounds 30th September, 1929, Printer’s Specimen with serial # A000000. On the face in the upper right margin in pen is the notation 65/1. Unlike other specimens (see Lot above), this note is punched with 3 holes and not perforated with the word Cancelled. See Dabbah page 221 for a photo of this note. Dabbah speculates that 65/1 indicates the plate or print number. Another extremely rare, seldom seen, important note. AU, but for some green stains indicating this was probably removed from the press before the ink was dry. Tracing of mounting can be seen on the back. All 100 Pound Palestine Currency Board notes, whether issued, specimens or proofs, whether in high grade or put together with tape are exceedingly rare. It is very possible that this is a unique specimen and perhaps even a unique type of specimen. It is the only similar note pictured in Dabbah. $45,000+?

Estimate  $90,000+?       Sold For  $205,000

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