1903B Straits Settlements One Dollar Incuse Mintmark MS65

 

In the coin section, this 1903B Straits Settlements One Dollar graded with MS65 by NGC is stealing the limelight in the Trigometric June 2021 Auction. 

Their highlights introduction is Facebook Page as below,

Highlighting an extremely rare lot in Trigo’s upcoming JUNE 18-20 Auction.

1903B Straits Settlements, 1 Dollar

Incuse Mintmark

MS65

The 1903B is much scarcer than 1904B. Extremely Rare to be in this high grade.

Truly fascinating to know that Straits Settlements Silver Dollars were first minted in 1903 to replace then British, Mexican and Hong Kong Dollars.

The purpose of this action was to create a separate exchange value for the new Straits dollar as compared with the other silver dollars that were circulating in the region, notably the British trade dollar. The idea was that when the exchange value had diverged significantly from that of the other silver dollars, then the authorities would peg it to sterling at that value, hence putting the Straits Settlements unto the gold exchange standard. This pegging occurred when the Straits dollar reached the value of two shillings and four pence, against sterling.

Within a few years, the value of silver rose rapidly such as to make the silver value of the Straits dollar higher than its gold exchange value. To prevent these dollars from being melted down, a new smaller dollar was issued in 1907 with the same design, but reduced silver content. 

Trigometric June 2021 Auction Specimen Banknotes Highlights

Trigometric Sdn. Bhd. will be hosting their June 2021 Auction on 19th to 20th at Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur, and they start posting the auction lots highlights at their Facebook Page, one thing I found interesting this time is quite a lot of extremely rare specimen banknotes will be featuring in this auction, ranging from Malaya & British Borneo, Straits Settlements, and even the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Corporation 1922 piece of Colour Trial Specimen, those item are out of my touch, but keeping a copy of this beautiful photo here in my blog will be nice for my own viewing enjoyment.

Wow! After the serial number 1, now the serial number 2

 

Trigometric will be organizing their second auction for this year in 19th-20th June, at the just concluded auction in March, we all know that one of the eye catching lot is the serial number 1 of the 50 Ringgit Commemorative bank note in-conjunction of the Malaysia 50th Anniversary of Independence, the lot is sold with the RM600,000 hammer price, which if include the 18% buyer premium, it will be a whopping sum of RM708,000.

And now the coming June auction, serial number 2 will be featuring in the auction.  

PMG Certified Artist's Rendition Note

On 12th April 2021, PMG has introduce their certified Malaya and British Borneo 10 Dollar Artist's Rendition note in various social media site, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, which will be featuring in the Mavin Auction 57, the link of the PMG article can be found here.

Fascinating watching this beautiful and colourful artist's rendition in photo, I wish that can look at a real piece of artist's rendition note, luckily I get to see one piece of such note which is in the show cabinet at Trigometric office as shown in below photo.  

 

Malaysia RM50 Gold Edge Serial Number 1

Today, on the 5th day of the 2021 Chinese Lunar New Year, while browsing the Facebook post, found a very interesting post from Trigometric Sdn. Bhd. page, they highlighted one of the lot for their coming Auction on 27th to 28th March 2021, the RM50 Gold Edge with the Serial Number 1.

For those not following the Numismatic news, they might found this piece of RM50 is similar with the current normal circular RM50 banknote in Malaysia, but let's take a look at their issuing history.

First, Bank Negara Malaysia announced that they will issue the new RM50 banknotes to commemorate the 50th Anniversary Independence of Malaysia at their official website on 21st December 2007, and announced that it is available for public to purchase on the 26th December 2007, at that time, member of public need to go to Bank Negar to que up for the Banknote which the system is already change to online ordering and balloting at current Bank Negara system. The announcement from Bank Negara on this issue can be found here. 

The issued quantity for this commemorative banknote is 20,000 pieces, with serial number AA0000001 to AA0020000, the RM50 notes that circular in Malaysia that time is different design from this commemorative banknote, until on the 15th July 2009, Bank Negara Malaysia announce that they will issue the new RM50 banknotes for normal circular, which is using the template of this commemorative banknotes, the announcement can be found here. 

The after market price for this commemorative banknote is appreciating quite significantly over the years, to differentiate the commemorative piece and normal circular piece, the most simply is on the serial number, AA0000001 to AA0020000 is the commemorative banknote. Beside that, the commemorative banknotes have gold colour edge at both edge of note (PMG will label it as Yellow Edges) while the normal circular is with grey colour edge. 

Another different is at the back side of the commemorative bank note it carry the 50th Anniversary Logo, while normal circular banknote is without the Logo. But you may find that Logo in the prefix AA0020001 to AE10000000, still that is consider normal circular banknote, you may find the news about the Banknotes with the Logo here.  

It is very curious for me who is the first owner of this piece of first serial number on this commemorative banknotes, is it this is the first appearance of this piece of Banknote or is the first appearance is from Bank Negara own organizing auction? And for a very interesting fact, that Malaysia Prime Minister at the time, Datuk Seri Ahmad Badawi was receiving the serial number AA0000009 from than Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, the news can be found here. 

Photo Source: Trigometric Sdn. Bhd. Facebook Page

 

1919 Sarawak One Dollar Note

Interestingly, this piece of 1919 One Dollar from the Government of Sarawak with the serial number 2, is taking a news slot from almost all the local newspaper today, and it almost appear in all the discussion feed at the Facebook various numismatic group, why the note suddenly have such the attention? It is because of the value realize in the just concluded Spink Auction 366.

It is also believe that the winner bid come from a Malaysia collector, Malaysia business news website The Edge also have the news published in the link here.

And for those who wish to check the link of this auction lot it can be found in the link here.

 

Issuance of Commemorative Coins in Conjunction with APEC 2020

We have the third commemorative coins issue from Bank Negara Malaysia which they announced on 20th November 2020, the link for the coins which issue in conjunction with the APEC 2020 can be found in BNM official website here. 

In the previous 2 issued of commemorative coin, which BNM is using the balloting method which they introduce few years ago, and there are one more changes they have done due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, BNM had cancel the self collection option for the success ballotter, instead all success ballotter will get their coin by courier service.

In this process, each application process they will be a charge of courier fee, on top of that, the courier fee will be charge on every single coin (in case of coin card, it will be lot of 5 pieces) you apply.

Those who apply full set for both version in previous issued  may need to pay RM1,491.65 in advance and the courier fee is charging at RM177.15.

Initially some may feel the extra courier cost may consider drive up the coin cost, which may make some collector decide to wait and see how the public respond on this new normal.

The balloting result is already out and judging from the feedback in social media, it seems most of the coin is fully subscribe, looks like the extra courier charge didn't dampen the collector interest at all.