SA-RIBU banknote in Monetarium Auction 13

February 19, 2014, 2:03 am

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A SA-RIBU Ringgit banknote will be auction in Monetarium Auction 13 with a minimum starting bid of SGD6,000. The RM1000 A/1 020017 is in Original Very Fine condition with Pin holes. The banknote are not graded by any Third Party Grading company. According to KN Boon 6th edition Book, a SA-RIBU Ringgit banknote in very Fine condition will cost you around RM11,000. This paper money is no longer easy to find and are usually sought after by Malaysian banknote collectors.

Monetarium Auction 13 will be held at Peninsula Excelsior Hotel, Singapore on 27th March, 2014. You can also join their bid via an online website www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Here are some other highlights of the auction:

Lot 1179: 1917 Straits Settlements Emergency issue 25 cents note

Description:
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS / 海峡 Emergency Issue: 25-Cents ND (1917) J/1 57691 (KNB15) PMG 50.
Estimate SGD6,000 – SGD7,000
Starting Bid SGD6,000

Lot 884: $10 British North Borneo Company 1st dec 1926

Description:

BRITISH NORTH BORNEO / 英国北婆罗门 British North Borneo Company $10 1st dec 1926, sn D114907 (KNB8) PMG VF 25 NET

Estimate SGD4,500 – SGD6,000
Starting Bid SGD4,400

Lot 881: $5 British North Borneo Company 1st Dec 1922

Description:

BRITISH NORTH BORNEO / 英国北婆罗门 British North Borneo Company: $5, 1st Dec 1922 B242382 (KNB7) Stains, overall appearance is pleasant particularly on obverse, Original VF.

Estimate SGD4,300 – SGD4,800
Starting Bid SGD4,200

Lot 438: Malay Archipelago Iron Bullet coins

Description:

MALAYA / 馬來亞 Malay Archipelago, 18-19th century. Iron Bullet coins. Strucked by the local Chinese community. Many types (20 pcs ) VF-XF (20pcs).

Estimate SGD135 – SGD200
Starting Bid SGD130
You can learn more about Iron bullet coins here: Information about bullet money.

Lot 797: 1st Series Specimen 10-Ringgit A1 000000 Specimen No 9

Description:

MALAYSIA - MODERN ISSUES / 马来西亚－现代发行 1st Series: Specimen 10-Ringgit A/1 000000 Specimen No. 9, oval TDLR & SPECIMEN overprints, single official punch hole (KNB3b) Original UNC.

Estimate: SGD5,800 – SGD8,000
Starting Bid: SGD5,500

Lot 795: RM1 1st series Solid 999999

Description:

MALAYSIA - MODERN ISSUES / 马来西亚－现代发行 1st Series: RM1 Solid numbers B/24 999999 (KNB1a) PMG 58 NET, Minor rust, small tear.

Estimate: SGD900 – SGD1,200
Starting Bid: SGD900

Lot 798: 1st Series: Specimen 50-Ringgit A/1 000000 Specimen No. 12

Description:

MALAYSIA - MODERN ISSUES / 马来西亚－现代发行 1st Series: Specimen 50-Ringgit A/1 000000 Specimen No. 12, oval TDLR & SPECIMEN overprints, single official punch hole (KNB4b) Original UNC.

Estimate: SGD6,800 – SGD9,000
Starting Bid: SGD6,500

You can join live online auction at liveauctioneers.com but Live-Auctioneers bidders are required to get approval before bidding this lot and additional 20% deposit is also required before approval is given. A Buyer's premium of 15% will be added to hammer price for each lot to all succesful bids. Lots sold though "liveauctioneers.com" are subjected to an additional 3% Buyer's Premium (18% in total). All Shipping, handling and insurance charges will be paid by Buyer.

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Gold Sovereigns offered by Baldwin on 8th May

February 20, 2014, 7:14 am

≫ Next: Kew Gardens 50 Pence selling for £120

≪ Previous: SA-RIBU banknote in Monetarium Auction 13

A collection of Gold Sovereigns will be offered by Baldwin on 8th May 2014 in their Baldwin's Auction 88-The Hemisphere Collection of Gold Sovereigns. The diverse collection of 394 hammered and milled gold sovereigns that spans 525 years, 15 Monarchs and seven mints, follows hot on the heels of The Bentley Collection of British Gold Sovereigns, sold by Baldwin's during 2013 for £3,994,638.

Formed over 10 years from 2003, the current owner's fascination with the history of the Sovereign has culminated in the only private collection known to the auction house that contains examples of each and every monarch for the Sovereign denomination.

Steve Hill, Director of British Coins at Baldwin's said: "We felt 2014 was the year to expand on the success of last year's sale of The Bentley Collection. The Hemisphere Collection is the first of its kind to track the Sovereign journey from its inception, circa 1500, to today, offering a new generation of collectors the opportunity to embrace the Sovereign, an integral part of British numismatic history and one of the world's most respected gold coins."

"In comparison to The Bentley Collection, The Hemisphere Collection brings together both handmade hammered and machine made milled coinage to give the fullest outline of the Sovereigns history, offering collectors of both hammered and milled Sovereigns an unprecedented opportunity to celebrate the denomination together."

Amongst the modern milled coins on offer is an extremely rare example from the reign of King Edward VIII, who abdicated from the English throne just 326 days after his accession and an Elizabeth II Gold Proof Sovereign 1953, with an impeccable provenance, examples of which were never issued for private collectors.

King Edward VIII Gold Proof Sovereign dated 1937

The King Edward VIII, Gold Proof Sovereign dated 1937, is a legendary coin of the highest rarity. Never produced as a currency issue, due to the controversial abdication of the King, the sovereign was part of a proposed set, or a proof set, that was to be authorised as new coinage ahead of the King's Coronation in 1937.

After the death of Edward's father, King George V, in January 1936, Edward ascended the throne and coin proposals were produced carrying the head of the new monarch. Edward refused to follow the tradition established by King Charles II that dictated the portrait of each ascending monarch should face the opposite direction to his, or her, predecessor. The tradition had been followed by every monarch, with the exception of Edward VIII, who preferred his left facing profile and insisted on facing the same way as his father. The coin is estimated at £250,000-300,000.

Edward had a number of affairs with married women before meeting American divorcee Wallis Simpson in the 1930s. Against the wishes of his father he developed a relationship with her and famously abdicated his throne on the 10th December 1936 for the woman he loved so fervently, making him the first British monarch to do so voluntarily. Edward and Wallis Simpson married soon after and Edward's brother George became the next King of England.

1953 Elizabeth II Gold Proof Sovereign

A 1953 Elizabeth II, Gold Proof Sovereign is one of the most valuable coins of our current queen, and beside the Edward VIII Sovereign, is the second rarest of the modern Proof Sovereign series. From her coronation year, the proof set was never issued for public sale, instead, a limited number were produced for national institutions to display publicly for the Coronation.

This example belonged to The National Museum of Wales, who sold and dispersed their set, with official permission, sometime after The Royal Mint moved to Wales. This example, appearing at auction for the very first time, has excellent provenance and offers bidders the opportunity to secure a piece of modern history. It is estimated at £250,000-300,000.

Introduced as a political propaganda tool to emphasise the stability and power of the King after the long and bloody War of the Roses, the Sovereign was first presented by King Henry VII in October 1489, with the earliest example in The Hemisphere Collection, a hammered Henry VII, struck circa 1502-1504.

Hammered Henry VII struck circa 1502-1504

It was the largest coinage in both size and value, with the reverse bearing the double Tudor rose, symbolising the union of the York and Lancaster Houses, and reinforcing its political message. This very well persevered example is an important piece of the denominations history and is estimated at † £100,000-120,000.

The Sovereign continued to be issued by the Tudor and Stuart Monarchs until the reign of James I, whereupon it appeared in different later guises termed as 'Pound', 'Unite' and 'Laurel' for over 200 years until the re-coinage of King George III in 1816-17. From here the history of the Sovereign is revived and The Hemisphere Collection continues, with the rarest London Royal Mint Sovereign, an 1819 George III.

Much smaller in size and weight, the new, redesigned sovereign adopted the iconic and patriotic design depicting St. George slaying the dragon, designed and engraved by Chief Medallist for the Royal Mint, the Italian artist Benedetto Pistrucci.

This Sovereign is one of only eight currency examples known to exist, and has never been offered at public auction before. The only previous record of the coin is as a plate coin in the Royal Mint publication Royal Sovereign 1489-1989, issued for the 500th anniversary of the Gold Sovereign. It is estimated at £50,000-60,000.

Estimates do not include buyer’s premium and prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer’s premium. You can view The Hemisphere Collection of Gold Sovereigns catalogue online at www.baldwin.co.uk.

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Kew Gardens 50 Pence selling for £120

February 21, 2014, 1:35 am

≫ Next: $1000 ZZ replacement in Mavin Auction 36

≪ Previous: Gold Sovereigns offered by Baldwin on 8th May

The Royal Mint UK has announced that the rarest commemorative UK coin design is the Kew Gardens 50p coin. The 50 pence coin were released into circulation to mark the 250th Anniversary of the Royal Botanic Gardens in 2009. With over 1 in every 300 people in the UK, or 0.32% of the population, likely to find it in their change.

Only 210,000 of the coins were ever released into circulation and features a design showing the famous pagoda of the Royal Botanic Gardens encircled by a vine and accompanied by the dates “1759” and “2009”, with the word “KEW” at the base of the pagoda.

250th anniversary of the foundation of the Royal Botanic Gardens
Technical Specifications:
Issued: 2009
Diameter: 27.30 mm
Weight: 8.00 g
Thickness: 1.78 mm
Composition: Cupro-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel)
Obverse Designers: Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS
Reverse Designer: Christopher Le Brun
Edge: Plain
Mintage: 210,000

Shane Bissett, Director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint said: “Whilst we’re urging everyone to check their change to see whether they could have one of these exceptional coins in their pockets, we also want to encourage the nation to look more closely at all of the coins we use every day.

“They really are miniature works of art worth looking out for, admiring and collecting – and keeping hold of them is a great way for us to build our own private art galleries. Now that people know just how rare this particular coin is we expect them to disappear from circulation fast.

“The Royal Mint’s 50p, £1 and £2 Collector Albums are the perfect way for people to start appreciating the beautiful works of art that are in our pockets and enjoying the coins that are in circulation.”

The striking coin was designed by Christopher Le Brun, and the reverse includes the famous pagoda surrounded by a twisting vine plant. Christopher chose the pagoda as an instantly recognisable symbol which is intrinsically linked to London.

With a Face Value of 50 pence, the coin worth more than 200 times its face value and the price keep on increasing every year. Right now, you can find it in eBay for £80-£130. With the recent publicity about the Kew Gardens 50p, I do think their price will be double in few months time.

If you have found a Kew Gardens 50p coin in your change, you can share it on The Royal Mint Facebook page or posting it on Twitter using the hashtag #strikingstories.

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$1000 ZZ replacement in Mavin Auction 36

February 21, 2014, 8:27 pm

≫ Next: King Farouk coins collection

≪ Previous: Kew Gardens 50 Pence selling for £120

A Ringgit Malaysia $1000 ZZ replacement will be offered in Mavin Auction 36 on 22 March 2014 at the Concorde Hotel Singapore. The one thousand Ringgit banknote Graded by Paper Money Guaranty (PMG) as Gem UNC66EPQ with replacement note, serial no. ZZ 0034688. The 7th series Malaysia banknote signed by Ahmad Mohd Don, Bank Negara Malaysia fifth governor. The RM1000 denomination has been demonetized by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) since 1st July 1999.

Mavin Auction 36 will be held in two separate auctions session; on 22 March 2014 for banknotes and on 26 March 2014 for coins. A collection of India, Mauritius, Sarawak, Straits Settlements coins from the Sinnathuray Family Collection will be auction in the coins session. A very rare coins Brazil 20000 Reis 1726M gold coin and Egypt 500 Piastres AH1357 (1938) royal wedding gold proof will also offered in the Mavin Auction 36.

Other highlight for banknotes session beside the RM1000 ZZ Replacement is the Straits Settlements $10 1935 graded PMG Choice UNC64, the highest graded note in the PMG Population Report. The banknotes session will also offer a good collection of Malaysia Banknotes and private property Singapore Banknotes.

Here are some of the highlight for the Mavin Auction 36-banknotes session:

Lot 555: Straits Settlements $10 1935 KGV PMG Choice UNC64
Description:

Straits Settlements $10, 1 January 1935, King George V, (P.18b; Tan S19d), serial no. C/24 75098, PMG Choice UNC64. This is the highest graded note in the PMG Population Report. This note lacks the coverted EPQ designation due to some minor ageing.

Estimate: SGD12,000 – SGD13,000
Starting Bid: SGD12,000

Lot 512: 5 Dollars 1898 Straits Settlements
Description:

Straits Settlements $5, 1 September 1898, (P.2; Tan S3), serial no. A/3 47594, PMG VG10 NET - rust, splits. Rare large format $5.

Estimate: SGD6,000 – SGD6,500
Starting Bid: SGD6,000

Lot 431: Malaysia $50 4th series X1 replacement
Description:

Malaysia $50, (1981-83), 4th series, sign. Aziz Taha, (KNB.22b), serial no. X/1 380387, replacement note, PMG Choice AU58EPQ.

Estimate: SGD2,100 – SGD2,200
Starting Bid: SGD2,100

Lot 443: Malaysia $20 6th series UZ replacement
Description:

Malaysia $20, (1986-95), 6th series, sign. Jaffar Hussein, (KNB.35d), serial no. UZ 0031488, replacement note, AU-UNC.

Estimate: SGD480 – SGD500
Starting Bid: SGD480

Lot 309: Brunei $10000 1989 specimen AU-UNC

Description:

Brunei $10000, 1989, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah I, specimen, (P.20s), serial no. A/1 0000000, "CONTOH SPECIMEN" ovpts., AU-UNC.

Estimate: SGD10,000 – SGD11,000
Starting Bid: SGD10,000

Lot 398: Malaya Br Borneo $1 solid 4s 1959 sailing boat
Description:

Malaya & British Borneo $1, 1 March 1959, sailing boat, Thomas de la Rue, (P.8A; Tan M25a), serial no. B/86 444444, flattened, AVF

Estimate: SGD1,000 – SGD1,100
Starting Bid: SGD1,000

Lot 417: Malaysia $1 3rd series solid 9s
Description:

Malaysia $1, (1976-81), 3rd series, sign. Ismail Md. Ali, (KNB.13a), solid 9s serial no. L/9 999999, PMG Choice UNC64.

Estimate: SGD1,300 – SGD1,400
Starting Bid: SGD1,300

Lot 464: Malaysia $1 1999-2000 error banknote
Description:
Malaysia $1, (1999-2000), (KNB.55/61), serial no. LW 8470564, inking error, PMG Choice AU58EPQ.
Estimate: SGD1,400 – SGD1,500
Starting Bid: SGD1,400

Lot 414: Malaysia $10 2nd series Z3 replacement
Description:

Malaysia $10, (1972-76), 2nd series, sign. Ismail Md. Ali, solid security thread, (KNB.9d), serial no. Z/3 534933, replacement, PMG Gem UNC66EPQ.

Estimate: SGD440 – SGD460
Starting Bid: SGD440

Important Notice: The buyer's premium for bids made through liveauctioneers.com is 20%. The buyer's premium for absentee bids by post, fax and email is at 18%.

You can contact Mavin International Pte Ltd at +65 6238 7177 for the auction catalogues starting from 26 February 2014. Printed Catalogues at S$15 airmail postpaid and CD-Rom S$5 airmail postpaid.

You can also view the auction online via liveauctioneers.com or Mavin website at www.mavininternational.com/auction1403/auction.htm.

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King Farouk coins collection

February 23, 2014, 5:43 am

≫ Next: Chekiang Province Brass Pattern Cash in Hong Kong Auction 56

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King Farouk of Egypt is remembered for his rare coin collections with over 8,500 copper coins, silver coins, gold coins and medals in his collection. He is one of the most famous coin collector in history today. Most of the world great collectors have King Farouk rare coins in their collection. Two of the most famous King Farouk coins are the 1933 Double Eagle and a 1913 Liberty Head Nickel.

In February and March of 1954, King Farouk coin collection were sold at the Palace Collections of Egypt coin auctions in Cairo, Egypt.

King Farouk of Egypt

King Farouk I of Egypt was born in 11 February 1920 and at the age of just 16 on 28 April 1936, he became the tenth ruler from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty and the penultimate King of Egypt and the Sudan, succeeding his father, Fuad I of Egypt. Before his father's death, he was educated at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, England.

His full title was "His Majesty Farouk I, by the grace of God, King of Egypt and Sudan, Sovereign of Nubia, of Kordofan, and of Darfur".

He was known for his glamorous royal lifestyle and his interest for the rare and unusual items. He collect cars, coins, medals, stamps, works of art in gold and silver, valuable clocks and watches, rare books, ancient Egyptian artefacts. He had also collected trivial objects like matchboxes, razorblades and toothpaste tubes. Although he already had thousands of acres of land, dozens of palaces, and hundreds of cars, the king often travelled to United States and Europe for grand shopping sprees.

Some people said King Farouk is a kleptomaniac, he stole everything he fancied. His people will hide their precious items when they heard King Farouk came to their home. Most of King Farouk coins collection were purchased in the 1940s from American coin dealers, who soon realizes that he usually took a long time to pay especially for the invoice totaled more than $10,000. They later found out, he could authorize payments of up to $10,000 personally, invoice totaled more than $10,000 had to be routed to the Egyptian treasury. When the American dealers start to limit his purchased to less than $10,000, he already have a very large collections of coins.

On 23 July 1952, Muhammad Naguib and Gamal Abdel Nasser, staged a military coup that launched the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. On 18 June 1953, the revolutionary government overthrowing King Farouk, ending 150 years of the Muhammad Ali dynasty's rule, and Egypt was declared a republic.

On his exile from Egypt, Farouk settled first in Monaco, and later in Rome. He died in the Ile de France restaurant in Rome on 18 March 1965. He collapsed and died at his dinner table following a characteristically heavy meal. Some people claim that he was poisoned by Egyptian Intelligence.

The Palace Collections of Egypt Auction

When King Farouk was removed from the throne, Egyptian revolutionary government took over all his arts, antiques, sculptures, stamps, coins and medals collection that he left behind and trying to liquidate and return the profits to the national treasury. They put all the items into a series of auctions and called it "Palace Collection of Egypt" without mentioning King Farouk by name. Two London firm was hired for the auction, Baldwin & Co. was hired to describe the coins and Sotheby & Co. publishing the catalog.

With over 8,500 silver coins, gold coins and medals in his collection and a short period of time, most of the coins were sold in large lots, sorted by denomination, with a variety of dates and mintmarks. For example in Lot 1671 under Coins in Silver, Copper & other metal:

"Lot 1671-Dollars, 1795, three varieties, 1796, 1797, two varieties, 1798, three varieties, 1799, two varieties, 1800, 1801, 1802, 1803, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1846, 1846 O, 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 1850 O, 1853, mostly very fine-28"

The famous Palace Collections of Egypt coin auction, took place at Koubbeh Palace, Cairo, in Wednesday, 24th February, 1954, and following four days and on Wednesday, 3rd March, and following three days.

A number of well-known American dealers and collectors attended the sale in Cairo. Dealers in attendance included Abe Kosoff, Sol Kaplan, Bob Schermerhorn, James Randall, Paul Wittlin, and Hans Schulman. Prominent collectors included John J. Pittman, Gaston DiBello, and Ambassador & Mrs. R. Henry Norweb.

Today, the actualPalace Collections of Egypt catalogue itself is a valuable numismatic item, very few exist and valued hundreds of dollars a piece.

1933 Gold Double Eagle

The famous 1933 Gold Double Eagle suppose to be destroyed by the US Treasury and melt them into gold bars following President Franklin Roosevelt Executive Order 6102, People were ordered to turn in their gold and no more gold coins were to be issued for circulation.

10 of the coins surfaced in the 1940's, the US Secret Service tracked down nine of them and destroyed them. a Texas dealer sold one of the coins and it was on the way out of the country on 22 February 1944. The missing double eagle was acquired by King Farouk of Egypt.

When the auction of the Palace Collections of Egypt start, The United States Government requested the return of the coin, and the Egyptian government stated that it would comply with the request. However, at that time the coin disappeared and was not seen again in Egypt.

In 30 July 2002, the USA 1933 gold double eagle make it into the record for the highest price ever paid for a coin in auction at $7,590,020 including buyer fees. Sotheby's and numismatic firm Stack's auctioned off a 1933 Double Eagle coin for $6.6 million, plus a buyer’s fee of 15% for a total price $7,590,020.

You can read more about the story of the famous expensive coins in this post: USA 1933 gold double eagle.

1913 "Olsen" Liberty nickel

The set of five Liberty Head coins dated 1913 were secretly produced by a Philadelphia mint worker named Samuel W. Brown and he altering the die to add the bogus date. Brown sold the set in 1920 at the American Numismatic Association Convention in Chicago. The five remained together under various owners until the set was broken up in 1942.

Of the five Liberty nickels, two are in museum collections, leaving just three available to collectors. In the past decade auction appearances of 1913 Liberty nickels have been rarer than the coins themselves. Like the other 1913 Liberty nickels, the example offered by Heritage has become individually famous. It is known as the "Olsen specimen" after an early owner, but his is hardly the only notable name in its provenance.

Colonel E.H.R. Green, son of Hetty Green ("The Witch of Wall Street"), owned all five 1913 Liberty nickels, as did the numismatist-scholar Eric P. Newman. Past owners of the Olsen specimen, beginning with Fred Olsen, include Egyptian King Farouk, department store owner Edwin Hydeman, Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss, Texas oilman and numismatist Reed Hawn, and Dwight Manley, distributor of the S.S. Central America treasure.

The rare 1913 American nickel five-cent piece also known as The Liberty Head nickel, sometimes referred to as the V nickel due to its reverse design and dubbed as "The Mona Lisa of Rare Coins."

The nickel was famously featured in an episode of the 1970s television show "Hawaii Five-O". In the 1970s, one of the five 1913 Liberty nickels was believed to be lost and another had sold privately for $100,000 and this very coin became a TV star. It became the "central character" of a Hawaii Five-O episode appropriately titled "The $100,000 Nickel." The genuine Olsen specimen was only used for the close-up shots during filming. For all other scenes the nickel had its own "stunt double."

On 9 January 2014, the 1913 Liberty Nickel, "The Hawaii Five-O Specimen" sold for USD$3,290,000 by Heritage Auctions in Orlando.

Source: Gold Rush Gallery, Paul Fraser, Scvhistory, Wikipedia.

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Chekiang Province Brass Pattern Cash in Hong Kong Auction 56

February 24, 2014, 6:30 am

≫ Next: Standard Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Coins and Paper Money

≪ Previous: King Farouk coins collection

A very rare Chekiang Province Brass Pattern Cash will be one of the highlight in Baldwin & Sons Ltd 56th Hong Kong Coin Auction of Far Eastern and World Coins, Medals and Banknotes, in association with Ma Tak Wo Numismatic Co Ltd, Hong Kong. The auction will be held in the Crystal Conference Centre at the Holiday Inn Golden Mile in Kowloon Hong Kong on Thursday 3rd April.

The Chekiang Province Brass Pattern Cash, an example of the first Chinese-style specimen round-hole Cash, similar to the contemporary Hong Kong issues, offers collectors an opportunity to own one of the most interesting pieces of Chinese currency history.

In Richard Wright's book, The Modern Coinage of China 1866-1949, The Evidence in Western Archives, he writes: "The Imperial Chinese authorities showed little interest in the machine minting of coins until the 1880s. Therefore the fact that the Paris Mint struck a pattern Chekiang Province cash coin as early as 1866 is somewhat of an enigma, particularly as the mint officials there have no evidence or knowledge of any further French involvement with the Chinese coinage."

The Paris Mint catalogue states that only three of the coins were struck but Wright argues that there may have been more, and the specimens could have been created solely for the purpose of an official Mandarin dignitary's visit to Paris. It is estimated to sell for $20,000 - 25,000. [Lot 292]

From the collection of Swedish born numismatist, Åke Linden, two very special coins are estimated to sell for $80,000 - 100,000. The first of the two, a 1907 Kuang Hsu Ku'ping Gold Pattern 1-Tael, was created as a prototype coin in the 33rd year of the reign of the eleventh Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Kuang Hsu.

Emperor Kuang Hsu was put under house arrest after his Hundred Days' Reform, aimed at changing political, legal, and social proceedings failed in 1898. The reforms proved too sudden for the Chinese populace and conflicted with the views of Empress Dowager Tsu Hsi, Kuang Hsu's Regent. With military support she staged a coup and Hsu stayed under house arrest until his death in November 1908, a day before the death of Tsu Hsi. [Lot 285]

The second of the two coins is an extremely rare 1907 Chihli (Peiyang) Province Silver Pattern 1-Tael, also from the 33rd year of the reign of Emperor Kuang Hsu. The coin has exceptional provenance having been bought by Linden from the collection of Dr Norman Jacobs, also sold by Baldwin's in 2008 for a total of $3,371,800. [Lot 309]

Elsewhere in the sale a selection of Asian banknotes includes an original stapled bundle of 100 consecutive 100-Rupee banknotes, serial nos.B19 683201-683300. Circa 1914, the notes issued by the Reserve Bank of India, Calcutta, are signed by C. D. Deshmukh and depict King George VI in profile at the right. They are estimated to sell for $120,000 - 150,000. [Lot 187]

An extremely well preserved and very rare Vietnamese Zinc Tong Bao from the reigh of Kien Phuc (1883-84) is estimated to sell for $13,000 - 18,000. [Lot 799]

Nguyen Gian Tong was placed on the throne at the age of fifteen on 30 November 1883, and ruled under the reign of Kien Phuc for only seven months before he was poisoned on 31 July 1884. The Kien Phuc Thong Bao is one of the major rarities from the reign title coins of the Nguyen dynasty. The specimen on offer in this sale is one of six known, once owned by Jules Silvestre, author of "Notes Pour Servir à la Recherche et au Classement des Monnaies et Médailles de l'Annam et de la Cochinchine Française", 1883, Saigon.

The catalogue will be available to view online at www.baldwin.co.uk and online biding with no additional premium is available through the services of www.the-saleroom.com.

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Standard Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Coins and Paper Money

February 25, 2014, 6:12 am

≫ Next: Couple strike $10 million gold coin hoard

≪ Previous: Chekiang Province Brass Pattern Cash in Hong Kong Auction 56

Every Malaysian, Singaporean and Brunei Numismatic Collectors have at least a copy of the Standard Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Coins and Paper Money by Steven Tan. The 1st edition of the book was published in 1976 and the latest edition is the 20th edition. Rumours has it, that the 21st edition will be out this year.

For anyone who still don't know, Mr. Steven Tan is the Managing Director of International Stamp & Coin Sdn Bhd. He was born in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan in June 1938. Last year when I interview Mr. Steven Tan, He told that he started dealing in stamps since October 1960 and coins around 10 years later. He start dealing with stamps in a small way, doing part time business at home registered under the name "International Philatelic Agency". In 1969, he moved his business to central area at Medan Pasar, Kuala Lumpur.

He start to collect coins and banknotes in 1970's when a group of people come to meet him and asked his help to buy a coin collection of a men who has been passed away. They need the money for his funeral and he paid few hundreds ringgit for all his collection. He start to collect and sell coins and banknotes after that and changed the trading name to "International Stamp & Coin Sdn Bhd". In 1975, he moved his business to his own shop lot at Pertama Complex. I have written articles on how to go to International Stamp & Coin Sdn Bhd (ISC) here;Where is Steven Tan coin shop?

Today, people start to collect old edition of the Standard Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Coins and Paper Money, some of the old catalogue already have a very good collectibles price. I am not aan avid collector of Steven Tan old edition books but every time there is a new edition comes out, I must buy it. Therefore, if I came across his old books in flea market at a very reasonable prices, I will buy it. For now, the collection that I have is a gift from Sifu Dickson Niew.

For anyone who bought the 19th edition Steven Tan Standard Catalogue, you will be lucky to get the 1st edition of his book, "Coin & paper money Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei (1845 to date)" that were published in 1976. The book is reprinted and were given as a souvenir for the purchase of the 19th Edition Standard Catalogue of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Coin & Paper Money. The book printed in black & white and covering the coins and paper money of the Straits Settlements, Malaya, Malaya and British Borneo, Malaysia, British North Borneo, Brunei, Sarawak and Singapore.

Here are some of the older editions that I have in my library:

Title: Coin & paper money Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei (1845 to date)
Author: Steven Tan
Edition: 1 (reprint 2010), black & white
Publisher: International Stamp & Coin Agency, 1976
Length: 72 pages
Original Retail Price: RM7

Title: Standard Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Coins and Paper Money
Author: Steven Tan
Edition: 5, black & white
Publisher: International Stamp & Coin Agency, 1982
Length: 148 pages
Original Retail Price: RM19

Title: Standard Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Coins and Paper Money
Author: Steven Tan
Edition: 7, black & white
Publisher: International Stamp & Coin Agency, 1986
Length: 177 pages
Original Retail Price: RM22

Title: Standard Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Coins and Paper Money
Author: Steven Tan
Edition: 8, black & white
Publisher: International Stamp & Coin Agency, 1987
Length: 171 pages
Original Retail Price: RM22

Title: Standard Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Coins and Paper Money
Author: Steven Tan
Edition: 17, illustrated
Publisher: International Stamp & Coin Agency, 2005
Length: 274 pages
Original Retail Price: RM65

Title: Standard Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Coins and Paper Money
Author: Steven Tan
Edition: 18, illustrated
Publisher: International Stamp & Coin Agency, 2007
Length: 294 pages
Original Retail Price: RM68

Title: Standard Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Coins and Paper Money
Author: Steven Tan
Edition: 19, illustrated
Publisher: International Stamp & Coin Agency, 2010
Length: 318 pages
Original Retail Price: RM78

Title: Standard Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Coins and Paper Money
Author: Steven Tan
Edition: 20, illustrated
Publisher: International Stamp & Coin Agency, 2012
Length: 356 pages
Original Retail Price: RM88

↧

Couple strike $10 million gold coin hoard

February 25, 2014, 3:49 pm

≫ Next: 1938 Egypt 500 piastres in Mavin Auction 36

≪ Previous: Standard Catalogue of Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Coins and Paper Money

A Northern California couple strike $10 million gold coin hoard buried in the shadow of an old tree while walking their dog on their property. All of the 1,427 coins, dating from 1847 to 1894, are in uncirculated, mint condition. It's believed to be the biggest hoard of gold coins ever unearthed in the United States.

Nearly all of the 1,427 coins, dating from 1847 to 1894, are in uncirculated, mint condition, said David Hall, co-founder of Professional Coin Grading Service of Santa Ana, which recently authenticated them. Although the face value of the gold pieces only adds up to about $27,000, some of them are so rare that coin experts say they could fetch nearly $1 million apiece.

"I don't like to say once-in-a-lifetime for anything, but you don't get an opportunity to handle this kind of material, a treasure like this, ever," said veteran numismatist Don Kagin, who is representing the finders. "It's like they found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."

Kagin, whose family has been in the rare-coin business for 81 years, would say little about the couple other than that they are husband and wife, are middle-aged and have lived for several years on the rural property in California's Gold Country, where the coins were found. They have no idea who put them there, he said.

The pair are choosing to remain anonymous, Kagin said, in part to avoid a renewed gold rush to their property by modern-day prospectors armed with metal detectors.

They also don't want to be treated any differently, said David McCarthy, chief numismatist for Kagin Inc. of Tiburon.

"Their concern was this would change the way everyone else would look at them, and they're pretty happy with the lifestyle they have today," he said.

They plan to put most of the coins up for sale through Amazon while holding onto a few keepsakes. They'll use the money to pay off bills and quietly donate to local charities, Kagin said.

Before they sell them, they are loaning some to the American Numismatic Association for its National Money Show, which opens Thursday in Atlanta.

What makes their find particularly valuable, McCarthy said, is that almost all of the coins are in near-perfect condition. That means that whoever put them into the ground likely socked them away as soon as they were put into circulation.

Because paper money was illegal in California until the 1870s, he added, it's extremely rare to find any coins from before that of such high quality.

"It wasn't really until the 1880s that you start seeing coins struck in California that were kept in real high grades of preservation," he said.

The coins, in $5, $10 and $20 denominations, were stored more or less in chronological order in six cans, McCarthy said, with the 1840s and 1850s pieces going into one can until it was filed, then new coins going into the next one and the next one after that. The dates and the method indicated that whoever put them there was using the ground as their personal bank and that they weren't swooped up all at once in a robbery.

Although most of the coins were minted in San Francisco, one $5 gold piece came from as far away as Georgia.

Kagin and McCarthy would say little about the couple's property or its ownership history, other than it's located in Gold Country, a sprawling, picturesque and still lightly populated section of north-central California that extends east of Sacramento to the Nevada line, running through the hills and valleys of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill, about 50 miles northeast of Sacramento, set off the California Gold Rush of 1848.

The coins had been buried by a path the couple had walked for years. On the day they found them last spring, the woman had bent over to examine an old rusty can that erosion had caused to pop slightly out of the ground.

"Don't be above bending over to check on a rusty can," Kagin said she told him.

They were located on a section of the property the couple nicknamed Saddle Ridge, and Kagin is calling the find the Saddle Ridge Hoard. He believes it could be the largest such discovery in U.S. history.

One of the largest previous finds of gold coins was $1 million worth uncovered by construction workers in Jackson, Tenn., in 1985. More than 400,000 silver dollars were found in the home of a Reno, Nev., man who died in 1974 and were later sold intact for $7.3 million.

Gold coins and ingots said to be worth as much as $130 million were recovered in the 1980s from the wreck of the SS Central America. But historians knew roughly where that gold was because the ship went down off the coast of North Carolina during a hurricane in 1857.

↧

1938 Egypt 500 piastres in Mavin Auction 36

February 26, 2014, 5:47 pm

≫ Next: illegal Investment Company under BNM

≪ Previous: Couple strike $10 million gold coin hoard

A very rare 1938 Egypt 500 piastres gold proof coin will be offered in Mavin Auction 36 on 26 March 2014 at the Concorde Hotel Singapore. The gold coin of the famous King Farouk of Egypt was issued on the occasion of the royal wedding of King Farouk to Queen Farida in 1938. The 1938 royal wedding proof is graded by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation NGC PF66. The coin bid will start at SGD13,000. King Farouk, best known to numismatists for his ownership of rare American coins such as 1933 Double Eagle, 1804 dollar and a 1913 liberty head nickel.

Mavin Auction 36 will be held in two separate auctions session; on 22 March 2014 for banknotes and on 26 March 2014 for coins. For banknotes, a Malaysia RM1000 ZZ Replacement and a Straits Settlements $10 1935 graded PMG Choice UNC64 are some of the highlight for the banknote session. The banknotes session will also offer a good collection of Malaysia Banknotes and private property Singapore Banknotes.

Here are some of the highlight for coins session:

Lot 755: Egypt 500 Piastres 1938 royal wedding gold proof coin
Description:
Egypt 500 Piastres, (KM.373), AH1357 (1938), royal wedding, gold proof, NGC PF66
Estimate: SGD13,000 – SGD14,000
Starting Bid: SGD13,000

Lot 614: Brazil 20000 Reis 1726M gold coin
Description:
Brazil 20000 Reis, (KM.117), 1726M, gold, NGC MS62.
Estimate: SGD13,000 – SGD14,000
Starting Bid: SGD13,000

Lot 767: France 100 Francs 1879A gold coin
Description:
France 100 Francs, (KM.832), 1879A, gold, NGC MS64.
Estimate: SGD2,900 – SGD3,000
Starting Bid: SGD2,900

Lot 715: Brunei Pitis 1868 umbrella type large
Description:
Brunei Pitis (Cent), (KM.2.2), AH1285 (1868), umbrella type large, GVF.
Estimate: SGD440 – SGD460
Starting Bid: SGD440

Lot 1171: 1879H Straits Settlements Queen Victoria 20 cents
Description:
Straits Settlements Victoria, 20 Cents, (KM.12), 1879H, NGC AU50.
Estimate: SGD440 – SGD460
Starting Bid: SGD440

Lot 1168: 1874H Straits Settlements Queen Victoria 20 cents
Description:
Straits Settlements Victoria, 20 Cents, (KM.12), 1874H, hairlines, XF.
Estimate: SGD200 – SGD210
Starting Bid: SGD200

Lot 1068: 1873 Straits Settlements Queen Victoria ½ cent
Description:
Straits Settlements Victoria, 1/2c, (KM.8), 1873, NGC MS64BN.
Estimate: SGD3,400 – SGD3,600
Starting Bid: SGD3,400

Lot 984: Peru Carol IIII 8 Escudos 1805 LIMA JP gold coin
Description:
Peru Carol IIII, 8 Escudos, (KM.101), 1805 LIMA JP, gold, NGC AU58.
Estimate: SGD1,700 – SGD1,800
Starting Bid: SGD1,700

Lot 970: New Guinea King George V Penny 1929
Description:
New Guinea George V, Penny, (KM.2), 1929, copper-nickel, NGC MS65.
Estimate: SGD600 – SGD650
Starting Bid: SGD600

Lot 945: Malaysia 50 sen 1969 security edge
Description:
Malaysia 50 Cents, (KM.5.1), 1969, with security edge, NGC MS63.
Estimate: SGD200 – SGD210
Starting Bid: SGD200

Lot 925: 1955H Malaya British Borneo Queen Elizabeth II 50 cents
Description:
Malaya & British Borneo Queen Elizabeth II, 50 Cents, (KM.4.1), 1955H, NGC MS64.
Estimate: SGD600 – SGD650
Starting Bid: SGD600

Lot 867: Japan 20 Yen 1906 gold coin
Description:
Japan 20 Yen, Meiji Year 39 (1906), (Y.30), gold, NGC MS64.
Estimate: SGD1,500 – SGD1,600
Starting Bid: SGD1,500

Lot 855: Italy Vittorio Emanuele III 100 Lire 1923R
Description:
Italy Vittorio Emanuele III, 100 Lire, (KM.65), 1923R, gold, fascist anniversary, NGC MS60.
Estimate: SGD2,400 – SGD2,500
Starting Bid: SGD2,400

Lot 810: Great Britain Queen Victoria 5 Pounds 1887 gold coin
Description:
Great Britain Victoria, 5 Pounds, (KM.769), 1887, gold, NGC MS63.
Estimate: SGD5,000 – SGD5,200
Starting Bid: SGD5,000

Lot 808: 1847 Great Britain Queen Victoria Crown young head
Description: Great Britain Victoria, Crown, (KM.741), 1847, young head, NGC AU58.
Estimate: SGD1,200 – SGD1,300
Starting Bid: SGD1,200

Important Notice: The buyer's premium for bids made through liveauctioneers.com is 20%. The buyer's premium for absentee bids by post, fax and email is at 18%.

You can contact Mavin International Pte Ltd at +65 6238 7177 for the auction catalogues starting from 26 February 2014. Printed Catalogues at S$15 airmail postpaid and CD-Rom S$5 airmail postpaid. You can also view the auction catalog online via liveauctioneers.com or Mavin website at www.mavininternational.com/auction1403/auction.htm.

↧

illegal Investment Company under BNM

February 26, 2014, 10:46 pm

≫ Next: Silver Reddite Crown in Spink auction

≪ Previous: 1938 Egypt 500 piastres in Mavin Auction 36

On 20 February 2014, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has released a new update for illegal Investment Company which are neither authorised nor approved under the relevant laws and regulations administered by BNM. The list only serves as a guide to members of the public based on information and queries received by BNM. Most of the company in the list are Illegal Foreign Exchange Trading Scheme and Illegal gold investment company. The company/individual listed as illegal because they're not an authorised dealer or has not obtained the permission of the Controller of Foreign Exchange under the Exchange Control Act 1953 (ECA). It is also illegal to trade foreign currency by a resident who is not an authorised dealer, with a person outside Malaysia, or by a resident who has not obtained the permission of the Controller of Foreign Exchange under the ECA.

Illegal Investment Company under BNM:
1. 1globalcash
2. 1Gold.com.my (www.1gold.com.my)
3. Ace Global Sales & Services
4. Agarwood Venture
5. Al-Saliha Worlwide Sdn. Bhd. (628267-M)
6. Amazing Yields Sdn Bhd (891529-V)
7. Amethyst Gold Creation Sdn Bhd (951063-K) (www.powergoldclub.com/ www.powergold999.com)
8. APS Asia Plantation Sdn Bhd (984575-T)
9. Aruna Travel
10. AU Niaga Sdn Bhd (907806-W)
11. AU79 International
12. Axis Capital Corporation Ltd (www.axiscapitalcorp.com)
13. Build Rich Mining Group Bhd (1006586-T) (www.buildrich.us)
14. Build Rich Investment Group Ltd
15. Build Rich Group Holding
16. Build Rich Agrotech Berhad
17. Build Rich Enterprise
18. Bumi Klasik Warisan Enterprise
19. Cash Deal Sdn Bhd (Boss Venture) (www.bossventure.com)
20. CGF Fine Metal Sdn Bhd
21. CTK Network (CTK2U.com)
22. CybertrustFX
23. Dana Haji Jasman
24. Danatama Millennium Sdn Bhd (819082-U)
25. Darul Emas Perak Bhd
26. Degold Empire Sdn Bhd (882335-M)
27. Dgreat Network (info.simplebisnes.com)
28. DNA Profile Sdn Bhd (245435-W)
29. Dream Success International Sdn Bhd (1002002-P) (www.Surewin4u.com)
30. Dynamic Wira Marketing Sdn Bhd - Skim Beras 1 Malaysia
31. Dynasty Worldwide Sdn Bhd (800311-D) (www.dynasty-worldwide.net/ www.dynastymf.com)
32. Eagle Aeronautics (M) Sdn Bhd (796603-A)
33. East Cape Mining Corp
34. Ecofuturefund (www.ecofuturefund.biz)
35. Energetic Gateway Sdn Bhd (511826-X)
36. Epic Palms Bhd (epicpalmsberhad.com)
37. Extra Capital Programme (extracapitalprogram.com)
38. Ezey Marketing
39. E-Qirad Sdn Bhd (595699-D)
40. FA Markets
41. FE Brands (M) Sdn Bhd (1000656-H)
42. Flexsy Enterprise & Barrilorne Corp
43. FNZ Capital Limited (www.intelfx.com)
44. Futurebarrel.com (futurebarrel.com)
45. Future Trade Indojaya Sdn Bhd (1003327-P) (ftindojaya.blogspot.com/ www.ft-indojaya.com)
46. Gain FX Capital Sdn Bhd (www.gainfxcapital.org)
47. Gan Patt Services
48. GGF Golden House Sdn Bhd (803753-W)
49. Global Creation Trading
50. Global Peace Loving Family (www.globalpeacelf.com)
51. Global Venture Financing (globalventurefinancing.com)
52. Global Wave Gold Corporation (globalwavegold.com)
53. Gold Bullion World Sdn Bhd (1018604-A) (goldenworld.com.my)
54. Gorgeous Chain Sdn Bhd (841928-P)
55. Grand View Golden Success Sdn Bhd (638186-X) - Golden Maximum
56. Great Access Sdn Bhd (517965-X)
57. Green Buck Resources Sdn Bhd (851115-A)
58. Greenmillion Agrosolution Enterprise (greenmillionagrisolution.blogspot.com)
59. Green Forest Global Sdn Bhd (987049-P)
60. Harvest Reliance Consultancy Sdn Bhd (965589-W)
61. HEA Teguh
62. Hexa Commerce Sdn Bhd (645798-X)
63. Holiday Express Asia
64. Honest Group Ltd
65. Iconhill Holding Sdn Bhd (810775-P)
66. IGC Diamond
67. Infinity Star International Sdn Bhd (851864-T)
68. Instaforex
69. Isothree Gold Sdn Bhd (906561-K)
70. Jalatama Management Sdn Bhd (929594-W) (www.jalatama.com)
71. Jazlaan Enterprise
72. JM Communications & Technology Sdn Bhd (702054-V)
73. JMI Global
74. JTGold
75. Kelab Kebajikan dan Sosial Tun Teja Malaysia (yds2u.com)
76. Kris Plus Enterprise (IP0238424-A)
77. Lestari2U (www.lestari2u.com)
78. Liberty Reserve (www.libertyreserve.com)
79. Life Time Holidays Sdn Bhd (727129-U)
80. LocalAdClick (localadclick.net)
81. LS Gold Bullion Sdn Bhd (235435-H)
82. Mari Wholesale (M) Sdn Bhd (556117-T)
83. Maxim Capital Ltd (www.maximtrader.com)
84. Maza Network Sdn Bhd (1006389-H)
85. McRen Oceanus Sdn Bhd (908484-X)
86. Mega Dynasty Sdn Bhd (931589-V)
87. Megaherbs Bioextreme (001946380-K)
88. Nexgain Malaysia Sdn Bhd (773854-D)
89. OLTA Capital Management Inc.
90. One AutoCash (www.clubautocash.com/ www.1autocah.com)
91. Pancar Mayang Sdn Bhd (527196-H)
92. Pars Pay Sdn Bhd (813378-V)
93. Perubatan Islam Seiring Syariat Al-Ikhlas
94. Power Trade Asia Sdn Bhd (933528-T) (www.kuasaforex.com.my)
95. Preferred Credentials Sdn Bhd
96. Premier Ventures Gold
97. Prestige Dairy Farm (M) Berhad (832757-A)
98. Profit Web Sdn Bhd
99. Program 10 Bulan Forex Trading
100. Program I-Rich
101. Projek Duit 2012
102. Provisio Multimedia
103. Public Golden House Sdn Bhd (806825-M)
104. Real Biz Pasif
105. Real Ingenious Sdn Bhd (926598-U) (www.worldfocus.co)
106. Retro Titan Sdn Bhd
107. RGCX Trading Corp (http://www.goldrgcx.com/ www.rapidgcx.com)
108. RMMUDAH.COM
109. RN Corporate Services Sdn Bhd
110. Rowther Technologies MSC Sdn Bhd (727979-T)
111. Royal Gold Sdn Bhd (1005830-X)
112. Royale Team Groups (www.royaleteaminfo.blogspot.com)
113. RS Capital Holdings Bhd (819833-P)
114. Sera Land Mangement & Enterprise (JM0503206-P)
115. SGFM Trading Sdn Bhd (936419-V)
116. Slimberry Extreme Team (zatslimberry.blogspot.com/ slimberryxtreme.com)
117. Speedline (www.speedline-inc.com)
118. Srgold Exchange Bhd (1033164-V) (www.srgold.com.my)
119. Sri Perkasa Emas Trading
120. Steady Dynasty Sdn Bhd (782270-H)
121. Steady Global Network Sdn Bhd
122. Suliz Pearl Mines
123. Sweblink Global Network Sdn Bhd (209952-H)
124. Swiss Capital Venture
125. Syarikat GECS Ltd
126. Syarikat Sri Alam
127. Tabung Dana Ehsan
128. The Gold Guarantee
129. Titan Group Sdn. Bhd (823732-U)
130. TukarGold.net (www.tukargold.net)
131. Ultimate Power Profits (www.ultimatepowerprofits.yolasite.com)
132. United American Traders Council (www.uatconline.com)
133. Urustabil Sdn Bhd (545426-X)
134. VC Gold Sdn Bhd (722295-T)
135. Virgin Gold Mining Corporation
136. Westrank Equity Sdn Bhd (1046449-A)
137. World Dirham Berhad (970807-X)
138. WSL Merchants Pte Ltd (www.worldshopperslink.com/ www.click4dollar.com)
139. XOC7
140. YDS Corporate Line Sdn Bhd (877697-P) (yds2u.com)
141. YDS Holding Groups Bhd (987797-T) (yds2u.com)
142. Zeta Capital Management
143. Zness.com (zness.com)

How the illegal investment company operate:

1) Illegal operators usually operate on a small scale and claim they can provide remittance services efficiently, without the need for any documents or identification. They rarely use documents to validate and verify the transactions. By engaging in these transactions, customers run the risk of being cheated and their funds may never reach its intended destination.

2) Illegal operators usually target job seekers by placing attractive advertisements to lure prospective employees to join the company, after which they use them to solicit for new investments. Most often, employees will be encouraged to approach their direct family, relatives and friends before targeting members of the public.

3) Illegal operators usually portray a professional and reputable image, a high-tech office layout and advanced IT facilities, such as a LCD screens displaying movements in exchange rates to provide the impression that a legitimate and real business is being conducted. These facilities are merely a false front.

4) Investors can either trade using their trading accounts with the company or through dealers appointed by the company. In some cases, investors are allowed to operate their accounts via the Internet.

5) Investors are also required to sign a business contract which is normally entered between the investors and a principal company overseas.

6) In most instances, the operators will inform the investors that they will have to send these contracts to its principal company overseas for signing. However, such contracts are usually left unsigned.

7) As such, in the event the investors are unhappy with future dealings and transactions, no action can be taken against the company as there is no binding contract between them.

8) Investors will usually get high returns on their initial investments. This will convince them to increase their investments in hopes of higher returns. Eventually, they will end up losing everything when the illegal operators suddenly go missing.

9) Investors who lose their money through purported volatility of exchange rate movements are informed by the illegal operators that they need to pay margin-call in order to recover their paper loss

10) The illegal operators may also encourage investors to increase their investment to try to recover their losses.

You can report directly to Bank Negara Malaysia via the following communication channels:

Call: 1-300-88-5465 (1-300-88-LINK)
Fax: 03-2174 1515
SMS to 15888: BNM TANYA [your report / query]
Email: bnmtelelink@bnm.gov.my

Source: bnm.gov.my

↧

Silver Reddite Crown in Spink auction

March 3, 2014, 4:34 am

≫ Next: Kelantan ancient treasure hoard site taken over by Heritage Department

≪ Previous: illegal Investment Company under BNM

A rare Silver Reddite Crown will be at the Spink Auction of Ancient, English and Foreign Coins and Commemorative Medals on 27 March 2014. It is thought that no more than thirty examples were made of the Petition and Reddite Crowns. In September 2007, a Petition Crown sold at a Spink auction for a record price of £207,000. The Reddite is estimated at £100,000 - £120,000. The Reddite is far rarer than the Petition with only five examples in silver known to exist.

The Reddite Crown, takes its name for the Latin inscription on the edge of coin. It was struck for exhibition to Charles II in 1663 to enable Thomas Simon, the finest medallist and seal engraver of the time, to demonstrate his skill. At the time, new technology was being introduced which allowed the edge of the coin to be inscribed and Thomas Simon set out to impress the king with what could be done. One coin, known as the Petition, has on its edge a petition to the king in two lines, a remarkable feat whilst another, of which this is an example, included an image as well as text. The end result was truly outstanding, an object of great beauty as well a technical accomplishment.

The obverse contains a stunning bust of Charles II struck in high relief with Simon's signature underneath, an unusual practise in this era.

The reverse is engraved with four crowned cruciform shields of England, Scotland, Ireland and France, arranged in the form of a cross, with a beautifully detailed insignia of the Order of the Garter placed in the centre.

Simon pioneered a new technology to impress an inscription around the edge of coins something that was at the cutting edge of coin design and production in 1663.

The word'POST'and an image of the sun emerging from behind clouds. This abbreviates the Latin phrase 'POST NUBILA PHOEBUS'meaning the sun shines after the storm, a reference to the restoration of Charles II bringing new hope after the difficulties of the Civil War and the Commonwealth.

The coin being sold on 27 March has long been noted as the finest known example of the Reddite Crown. It was first recorded in a collection in 1755 and since then has passed through a number of most important private collections of English coins and was last sold in 1950.

↧

Kelantan ancient treasure hoard site taken over by Heritage Department

March 4, 2014, 9:34 pm

≫ Next: 60 years of Aruba Carnival coin

≪ Previous: Silver Reddite Crown in Spink auction

The discovery of ancient coins and artefacts along the bank of Sungai Kelantan has been shown by TV9 News on 21 February 2014. The news spread like wildfire and prospectors, coming from near and far, have reportedly dug up keris, spears, earthen jars and porcelain plates as well as some Kelantan Pitis coins.

It is understood that the dry spell, which started last month, had caused the long-sunken treasure to be easily noticed.

Today, The Star News reported that The National Heritage Department has stop all the illegal treasure hunting and put a stop to the prospecting. National Heritage Department official Rokiah Abdul Samat also sought the help of the Pasir Mas police to prevent anyone from entering the area while her officers excavate for artefacts to determine their origins.

The department declared a kilometre radius from the site of the treasure horde as “out of bounds” to the public while its officers carry out the excavation and site preservation works.

Police have cordoned off the area since Saturday for the work, which is expected to end on March 13.

Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar was recently reported to have urged the locals to keep away from the area as the artefacts found were a state heritage and could be related to an ancient kingdom in the area.

He also urged the people not to disturb the area as it would hamper progress by National Heritage Department workers in finding clues to the origins of the artefacts.

In the earlier report by TV9 News, local said that the Kelantan ancient treasure hoard owned by Puteri Saadong, the adopted daughter of Siti Wan Kembang (Che Siti), the legendary Queen of Kelantan. The villagers claimed that in the ancient time there is an island in the river, which is home to Puteri Saadong. They can borrow plates from that places for their family feast.

Hopefully everyone who found Ancient Treasure from the Sungai Kelantan can give it back to the National Heritage Department team.

Under National Heritage Act 2005, if you find any treasure of National Heritage, you need to inform a commissioner of heritage or a district officer to declare your find. Anyone who caught in their possession of undeclared artefacts can be fined up to RM50,000 and/or jailed for not more than five years.

Source: The Star.

↧

60 years of Aruba Carnival coin

March 5, 2014, 6:44 am

≫ Next: Poland 2014 new circulation coins

≪ Previous: Kelantan ancient treasure hoard site taken over by Heritage Department

Royal Dutch Mint has released a 5 Florin 60 years of Aruba Carnival coin to commemorate the 60 years anniversary of the Caribbean island country Carnival. The 2014 sterling silver coin released has been announced by Central bank of Aruba. Only 1,250 pieces of the silver proof coin will be released into circulation.

The coin obverse show a detailed and multi-colored festive mask as seen during carnival is the central motif, the feathers and rhinestones are as vivid on the image against a mirrored surface. Under the mask’s image, the text “60 ANA” and “CARNAVAL”.

The coin reverse show the Aruban crest centered with the coin’s denomination of “5 Florin” and year of issue along with miniature crown to the right of the crest.

Technical Specifications:
Metal: Silver
Content: .925 fine
Weight: 25.00 g
Diameter: 38.0 mm
Edge lettering: DIOS * AS * CU * NOS *
Quality: Proof with color
Nominal value: 5 Florin
Mintage: 1,250 max

Aruba Carnival begins on new year’s day and continues with weeks of events that bring colorfully decorated floats, contagiously throbbing music, luxuriously costumed groups of celebrants of all ages, King & Queen elections, electrifying “jump ups” and torch light parades that wind their way through the streets at night. The Jouvert morning & the Children's Parades take center stage and finally the Grand Parade takes place. With the burning of King Momo, a symbol of the flesh - Carnival officially comes to an end on the eve of Ash Wednesday, this year falling on the 4th March.

For more information on this coin, you can visit the Royal Dutch mint website at: www.knm.nl.

↧

Poland 2014 new circulation coins

March 7, 2014, 7:59 pm

≫ Next: Australia oldest paper money will be auction

≪ Previous: 60 years of Aruba Carnival coin

On 3 March 2014 Central Bank of Poland (Narodowy Bank Polski) is putting into circulation coins with the face values of 1 grosz, 2 grosz and 5 grosz. The coins are minted in brass-plated steel and the image of their obverse has been changed. The coins of 1 grosz, 2 grosz and 5 grosz denomination put into circulation in 1995 will remain in circulation as legal tender, parallel to the new coins. Technical parameters and images of the remaining denominations will be unchanged.

Coins put into circulation in 2014:

Face value: 1 grosz
alloy: brass plated steel
diameter: 15.50 mm
weight: 1.64 grammes
edge (rim): milled

Obverse: Image of the eagle established as the state emblem of the Republic of Poland. Below the eagle, in a semi-circle, from left to right, the inscription: RZECZPOSPOLITA POLSKA. Within the rim, stylised rings, intersecting in the top part, split underneath by the year of issue. Below the eagle, on the right-hand side, the mint mark.

Reverse: A large digit: 1, below – a horizontal inscription: GROSZ, above the digit – a twig with an oak leaf.

Face value: 2 grosz
alloy: brass plated steel
diameter: 17.50 mm
weight: 2.13 grammes
edge (rim): plain

Reverse: A large digit: 2, below – a horizontal inscription: GROSZE, above the digit – a twig with two oak leaves.

Face value 5 grosz
alloy: brass plated steel
diameter: 19.48 mm
weight: 2.59 grammes
edge (rim): alternately plain and milled

Obverse: Image of the eagle established as the state emblem of the Republic of Poland. Below the eagle, in a semi-circle, from left to right, the inscription: RZECZPOSPOLITA POLSKA. Within the rim, stylised rings, intersecting in the top part, split underneath with the year of issue. Below the eagle, on the right-hand side, the mint mark.

Reverse: On the left-hand side, a large digit: 5, next to it – a horizontal inscription: GROSZY, underneath – a composition of five oak leaves.

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Australia oldest paper money will be auction

March 11, 2014, 10:27 pm

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Australia oldest paper money will be auction in Sydney later this month. The ten shilling note, issued on the order of the New South Wales Governor in 1817 by the Bank of New South Wales (now Westpac) on the day the bank opened, is expected to attract bids from investors and collectors around the world. The private bank issue note is expected to fetch AUD$250,000.

The paper money will be one of the highlight in Noble Numismatics Auction, Important Australian & World Coins, Tokens, Medals & Banknotes on 25–27 March 2014 at the Dixson Room, State Library of NSW, Sydney.

"BANK OF NEW SOUTH WALES, ten shillings, Sydney, 8 April 1817, No 55, imprint S.Clayton Sculptr, payable to J.Lee or bearer, signed E.S.Hall Cashier, Entd. R.Campbell Jun., signed by directors J.Harris and R.Jenkins (MVR type 1a), tablet on back with legend. Printed at the office of the Sydney Gazette."

The only known specimen of the first official banknote issued in Australia was uncovered in a private collection in Scotland.

“We have put a conservative estimate of a quarter of a million dollars on it in the catalogue,” said Jim Noble of Noble Numismatics.

“But there has been such excitement over its condition, rarity and major historical significance that it’s impossible to guess what it will make.

“Even Westpac itself doesn’t have one and all the experts believed none had survived.”

Australia 1st banknote worth 10 shillings printed in 1913 and numbered M000001 is currently for sale by Coinworks Australia for AUD$3.5 million. It last sold in 2008 for $1.909 million.

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8 people detained stealing RM300,000 From Penang BNM office

March 12, 2014, 11:52 pm

≫ Next: BNM invites auctioneers to auction Malaysian Banknotes

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Today, most major local newspaper reported about 8 people detained stealing RM300,000 from Penang BNM office Light Street.

In Kosmo the news stated that said that they're the officer of Bank Negara Malaysia and in The Star the news stated that they're staff from a financial firm. My source said the Star news is correct.

Here are the rest of the news:

Seven men and a woman, aged in their 20s to 30s were arrested following police report lodged by the financial firm’s supervisor after receiving a complaint from Bank Negara about the missing money.

The eight staff were from a financial firm elected by Bank Negara to perform computation of money at the bank.

It was believed that the suspects have been conducting the fraudulent activity at the currency processing room since September last year.

The missing amount was detected by Bank Negara during an internal investigation.

Penang CID Chief Senior Asst Comm Mazlan Kesah when contacted, said that the eight suspects will be remanded for three days beginning Tuesday to assist in investigations.

Source: The Star.

Nowadays, it's not easy to get a hard earn money and is not easy to find a new job. Stealing in Bank Negara Malaysia means you're willing to get caught because all your data are with their security when you want to do work in there, you cannot go anywhere. When I heard about this news from a friend, my first thaught is that the thief is BNM staff but apparently they're not, correct me if I am wrong.

I and some people in Malaysia Numismatics are still looking for a way to visit Bank Negara Mint in Shah Alam. If any of you do know how we can visit the Mint, please help me and send the information via my email. We don't want to steal money but we need to learn how our money was made in our local mint.

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BNM invites auctioneers to auction Malaysian Banknotes

March 13, 2014, 11:22 pm

≫ Next: 1936 Nobel Peace Prize to Be Auctioned

≪ Previous: 8 people detained stealing RM300,000 From Penang BNM office

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) via their website invites Malaysian auctioneers to state their Expression of Interest to be pre-qualified to auction Malaysian Banknotes. I think it has been over 2 years I heard rumours that BNM is looking for a local auctioneers to help them auction some of the Fancy Numbers Banknotes for the new Malaysia banknotes that has been released for sale starting from 22 December 2011. The limited folder premium banknote set have the same serial number.

In 2011, 3 types of New Banknote set were up for grab:

-A collection of six banknotes (RM1, RM5, RM10, RM20, RM50 and RM100 denominations) - 50,000 sets priced at RM300.00 each.

-A collection of two banknotes (RM1 and RM5 denomination) - 500,000 sets priced at RM15.00 each.

-A collection of a single banknote (RM20 denomination) - 500,000 sets priced at RM30.00 each.

I am not sure if BNM are planning to sale any kind of special banknote other then above but will update you later about it.

After over 2 years searching for the qualified auctioneers, I hope BNM already have a right candidate to conduct the auction in their behalf.

Here are The Pre-qualification Criteria:
Interested parties must satisfy and provide the following evidence:
-Malaysian registered company
-Minimum 2 auctioneers licensed in the Company in Wilayah Persekutuan;
-Minimum 10 years’ experience in auction;
-No legal action against the company or auctioneers; and
-Positive net worth for the past 3 years.

All submissions in response to this advertisement must be made in a sealed envelope and marked “EXPRESSION OF INTEREST TO BE PRE-QUALIFIED TO AUCTION MALAYSIAN BANKNOTES.” The sealed envelope must be hand-delivered or couriered to:

Director
Currency Management and Operations Department
Bank Negara Malaysia
Jalan Dato’ Onn
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

CLOSING DATE: Friday, 21 March 2014 at 12.00 p.m.

For enquiries, please contact:
Ms. Phut Chit See : 03-26988044 ext 8108
Ms. Gashini Muniandy: 03-26988044 ext 7745
Ms. Wong Siu Fong: 03-26988044 ext 8563

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1936 Nobel Peace Prize to Be Auctioned

March 18, 2014, 7:00 am

≫ Next: New £1 coin to be introduced in 2017

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A 1936 Nobel Peace Prize to be auctioned at the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Official Auction of the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo on Thursday, March 27, 2014. The 1936 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Carlos Saavedra Lamas (1878–1959), former Foreign Minister of Argentina.

He was awarded the medal for his central role in negotiating the end of the Chaco War between Paraguay and Bolivia, and he fought for control over the Chaco Boreal region. Lamas was also recognized for his work toward an anti-war pact that was signed by 15 nations, beginning in 1933.

Designed by Gustav Vigeland and struck from dies by Erik Lindberg, this and other Nobel medals of its era were struck at the Swedish mint in Eskilstuna. The obverse depicts Nobel facing left, with an inscription including the years of his birth and death around the periphery. According to the Nobel Foundation, the reverse "represents a group of three men forming a fraternal bond," while the inscription translates to "For the peace and brotherhood of men." The medal edge inscribed PRIX NOBEL DE LA PAIX 1936 CARLOS SAAVEDRA LAMAS. Stuck in 23-karat gold, it is an impressive 65 mm diameter, and weighs 22.4 grams.

“Without reservation, the Nobel Peace Prize is the most famous medal in the world,” said Q. David Bowers, chairman emeritus of Stack’s Bowers Galleries. “It is more universal than the Pulitzer Prize, more well-known and multiples rarer than an Olympic gold medal, and revered worldwide by collectors, historians, museums curators and others. This may well represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire an example of the world’s most famous medals and one of the rarest.”

This is only the second opportunity on record to purchase a Nobel Peace Prize medal at auction, and the first in almost 30 years. The previous medal sold at auction was one of seven presented to Englishmen. The medal offered in the March Baltimore auction is the first Nobel Peace Prize ever presented to a Latin American. Previously, all recipients had been from Western Europe and the United States. There have been four more Nobel Peace Prizes awarded to Latin Americans since, and one other awarded to an Argentinian after 1936.

The Nobel Peace Prize medal has been awarded 94 times since 1901. Nobel Peace Prizes have been stolen (Yasser Arafat) and recovered (Desmond Tutu). They have also been placed on permanent display in U.S. Presidential Libraries (Jimmy Carter), house museums (Jane Addams, Martin Luther King, Jr.) and the U.S. Library of Congress (Woodrow Wilson). While other Nobel awards have been sold at public auction, including prizes awarded to both Neils Bohr (awarded in 1922 and sold in 1940 to benefit the Fund for Finnish Relief) and his son Aage Bohr (awarded in 1975 and sold in 2012), and more recently, the Francis Crick medal that realized $2.27 million in 2013, there is only one instance recorded of a Nobel Peace Prize selling at auction: in November 1985, when Sotheby’s London sold the Nobel Peace Prize awarded in 1903 to Sir William Cremerfor. It is unknown if it remains in private hands today.

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New £1 coin to be introduced in 2017

March 18, 2014, 10:04 pm

≫ Next: Botswana 2014 new circulation coins

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Royal Mint has announced a new £1 coin, designed to be the "most secure in the world", is set to be introduced in 2017. The proposed £1 coin design is based on the design of the pre-decimalisation threepence piece or three penny, a 12-sided coin in circulation between 1937 and 1971.

The Queen's head will be on the obverse side of the coin. A public design competition will be held at a later date to choose the design for the reverse, or ‘tails’, of the coin which is expected to be introduced in 2017. The proposed new coin will be roughly the same size as the current £1 coin.

More than 2 million counterfeit £1 coins a year have been removed from circulation over the past few years, according to the Royal Mint, with 3 percent of those in use estimated to be forgeries.

The new £1 coin will be a Bi-Metal coin contain an iSIS (Integrated Secure Identification Systems) security feature - a revolutionary new high security coinage currency system developed by The Royal Mint.

iSIS enables not just coins, but the whole cash cycle to be more secure, protecting the public, vending machine operators, retailers, and the wider banking system.

Project iSIS is the work of The Royal Mint’s in-house technology team and involves the application of an existing security technology that has been proven over decades in banknotes. It is the first time that this existing security has been successfully embedded into coins.

iSIS is the culmination of a period of intense research and development by The Royal Mint’s in-house team, and has seen an investment of over £2m to date, with a significant amount more planned over the next couple of years as the iSIS technology is commercialised.

The Royal Mint’s Project iSIS received the 2013 Innovation Award from The Wales Quality Centre earlier this year.

The proposed £1 coin will be the most secure circulating coin in the world to date.

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Botswana 2014 new circulation coins

March 19, 2014, 8:34 am

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On 27 February 2014, Bank of Botswana has introduced 2014 new circulation coins produced by The Royal Canadian Mint. The Bank of Botswana converts its entire coinage system to multi-ply plated steel technology.

The Bank of Botswana’s new multi-ply plated steel coin series consists of the following denominations: 5 pula, 2 pula, 1 pula, 50 thebe, 25 thebe, 10 thebe, 5 thebe. These coins were officially declared legal tender by His Excellency the President Seretse Khama Ian Khama at a special ceremony to celebrate the nation’s new coin series.

The current coin will be exchanged for new coin and/or bank notes at commercial banks over a period of six (6) months following the launch of new coin. What will then be old coin will be demonetised and exchangeable for equivalent value only at the Bank of Botswana in Gaborone and Francistown for a period of five (5) years.

The multi-ply plated steel technology by The Royal Canadian Mint consists of alternating layers of metals such as nickel, copper and brass plated over a steel core. Today, this proven technology enjoys success all over the world and has been adopted by over 30 countries.

“An industry leader and innovator focused on delivering the best quality and value to our customers, the Mint is pleased to apply its unique expertise to converting all of Botswana’s circulation coin denominations to a technology which stands out for its exceptional combination of durability, security and value,” said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint.

“We are extremely proud that these new multi-ply plated steel coins, produced at our Winnipeg facility, will support Botswana’s daily trade and commerce with a level of reliability and confidence which is second to none.”

The Mint’s newly expanded Winnipeg plating facility has added new capacity to plate coins with a multitude of proprietary, industry leading technologies, including multi-ply plated steel, single layer double-annealed nickel and other advanced technologies which respond to the ever changing needs of a diverse and dynamic international market. With this new plating facility and a permanent research and development centre devoted to advancing all aspects of circulation coin manufacturing, the Mint is confident that it will meet the goal of growing its foreign business to own a 15 percent share of the global plated coin market by 2020.

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