WORLD BANKNOTES – E-AUCTION
London, 27th March – 10th April 2025
Following a thrilling start to the year with our January online auction, The Robin Benke Collection of English Banknotes and an incredibly successful live sale at NYINC, the excitement of remarkable banknotes continues!
Our current online auction presents a notable collection of Bank Polski specimens, rare Northern Banking Company Limited issues, and an exceptional 1948 People’s Bank of China 20 Yuan note.
People’s Bank of China, People’s Republic of China, 20 Yuan, 1948 (Pick 804)
Many of these 20 Yuan notes were either withdrawn or destroyed as China reformed its currency system in the early 1950s. The obverse of this note features Chinese text and presents a mix of brown and olive green. To the left, a worker is presented wearing a conical hat and leading a donkey around factories. The right presents an image of a steam train and railroad tracks. These depictions symbolise ideas of agriculture, industry and modernisation in China. On the reverse, a red design presents the denomination of 20 Yuan within intricate guilloches, whilst the date appears below.
Northern Banking Company, £20, 1918 and £50, 1883 (PMI NR 41, NR 42)
Established in 1824, the Northern Banking Company Limited is one of the oldest banks in Northern Irish history. We are thrilled to present the only known £50 note from this date, alongside an exceptionally rare £20 note issued in 1918- one of just two known to exist. These remarkable pieces offer a unique opportunity for collectors to acquire true rarities.
Bank Polski, 50, 100, 500 Zlotych, 1939, (Pick 84s, 85s, 86s)
In 1939, after Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland, the Polish government fled, establishing the Polish Government-in-Exile, eventually based in London by 1940. Despite being displaced, it issued banknotes through the Bank of Poland to symbolise Polish sovereignty and hope for liberation. Dated as early as 15th August 1939, these notes, printed in the UK, declared themselves legal tender but saw little use due to the occupation. They became a symbol of resistance and identity, reflecting the exiled government’s determination to restore Poland’s independence under leaders like President Wladyslaw Raczkiewicz and Prime Minister Wladyslaw Sikorski. Today, these banknotes are historical artefacts of Poland’s resilience.
WORLD BANKNOTES
London, 7th May 2025
Equally, our live floor auction on 7th May 2025 is sure to deliver some extraordinary banknotes from across the globe:
The Zanzibar Government/British Administration, 5 Rupees, 1908 (Pick 2)
This 5 Rupees note was issued as part of the first official series by the Government of Zanzibar. As a British colony, Zanzibar maintained its own currency. These banknotes were issued in limited numbers and later withdrawn in 1936, making surviving examples extremely scarce. Designed with Arabic and English text, and intricate patterns, the note embodies Zanzibar’s multicultural and economic heritage, representing a crucial period when Zanzibar thrived as a trade hub for spices, ivory, and precious goods.
“the note embodies Zanzibar’s multicultural and economic heritage”
The Camp Seven Bank, Internment Camp Hay, Australia, 6 Pence, 1, 2 Shillings, 1941 (SB 551c, 552b, 553a)
Located in New South Wales, Internment Camp Hay held alien enemies who had fled the war and were unable to return home. The internees were transported on the HMT Dunera, departing from Liverpool on 5th July 1940 and arriving in Sydney on 7th September 1940. Approximately 2,500 internees made the journey and remained at the camp until the end of World War II.
To facilitate camp transactions, the internees issued special banknotes for use in Camp Seven’s canteen. Designed by George Teltscher, they came in 1 Shilling, 2 Shillings, and 6 Pence denominations. The notes featured hidden messages, including the phrase “we are here because we are here because we are here” in the barbed wire border. The coat of arms shows a merino ram, with the camp leader’s name hidden in the fleece. The notes, in circulation from March to September 1941, were discontinued due to confusion with real currency. Today, they are rare and valuable pieces of WWII history.
Our World Banknotes online auction runs from 27th March – 10th April, and our World Banknotes floor auction takes place at Spink London on 7th May 2025. For further information please contact Arnas Savickas, [email protected].