By Aris Maragoudakis – Currency Specialist, Stack’s Bowers ……
Our upcoming Collectors Choice Online (CCO) Auction for World Paper Money is right around the corner, closing on October 4, 2017. It promises to offer very exciting items sure to fill gaps in many collections. These sales present strictly certified material, cater to consignors who are interested in quicker settlements, and offers dealers and collectors an auction in between our bigger auctions that are usually coordinated with trade shows. The last CCO in May brought some really strong results, and as we finalize this auction, I notice it includes desirable pieces you will typically find in one of our Live Sessions.
One of these special pieces is a French Pick 77sp Specimen Proof in a PMG 64 EPQ holder. This rare piece is a fully original 50 Francs design created by Luc Olivier Merson. Allegorical angels are seen on top and at center of the note. This Specimen Proof has no serial numbers, dates, signatures, or watermarks. The centering is fantastic, and we are of the opinion the note was conservatively graded.
For these sales we seek out popular notes in high grade. In this sale, one such example is a Tahiti 1,000 Francs high denomination note featuring a bare-chested woman at right. This design makes an appearance on the notes of quite a few different countries, but is not readily available in this great condition with the Papeete place name. According to the PMG Population Report, this is the second finest known. It would be a true steal at its opening price.
Portuguese Colonial material has seen increased demand over the past few years, with the Azores being an area where quite a few tougher pieces have come out recently. We are offering an early date Pick 11 1905 10 Mil Reis Ouro from the Banco de Portugal in PMG Very Fine 30. This special piece has an “ACORES” overprint on Portugal Pick 81. No major netting defects are seen.
We look forward to our Collectors Choice Online auction on October 4. We are currently collecting consignments for our January 2018 NYINC Sale. Already, we’ve collected some special pieces we will highlight for you in the coming weeks. For questions about world paper money related consignments, please contact [email protected].
