By Kerry Rodgers, Bank Note Reporter October 26, 2009

Many records had fallen by the time the last of 2,000 lots were sold at Spink’s late September sale. Not the least was that the two-day London marathon had realized $3.8 million [£2.4 million] in hammer prices alone. With buyer’s commission added, the total came to more than $4.51 million making it the biggest auction ever conducted of world paper money. It provided a great prelude to the IBNS weekend that followed.

The jewels in the crown were notes from the Bill Christensen collection as had been the case in Spink’s recent Singapore auction. This time it was Bill’s Caribbean holdings that mesmerized bidders with sky-high prices. Not far behind were gems from the remarkable Mathis Verkooyen collection. But it was the six Australian specimens described and illustrated in September’s Bank Note Reporter that stole the show.

The Australian 1913-14 Collins/Allen 10/-, £1, £5, £20, £50 and £100 specimens, P1A, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9, were sold as a single lot and realized $560,000 [£350,000]. If you were unsuccessful in winning this lot, but should stumble across a copy of Spink’s special catalog describing these notes, give yourself a treat and buy it. It should become a collector’s item in its own right.

A Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) presentation booklet of 1966 duplicate specimen notes realized $56,000 [£35,000]. The set included two specimens of each of the country’s first $1, $2, $5, $10 and $20 plus one of the $50 issued in 1973. It came accompanied by thank you notes to Monty Brown, Works Manager of the RBA’s Printing Division, from Russell Drysdale, Gordon Andrews and Lady Janet Clunies Ross, whose late husband, Sir Ian Clunies Ross, figures on the back of the $50.

Top sellers from Christensen’s holdings included:

• Saint Lucia, five shillings, Castries Oct. 1, 1920, P1 (plate note) in about VF: $35,200 [£22,000].
• Turks & Caicos, five shillings, 10 Jan. 10, 1928, P1 (plate note) in about EF: $33,600 [£21,000].
• Turks & Caicos, one pound, Nov. 12, 1918, P3b (plate note) in good F: $32,000 [£20,000].
• Barbados, 100 dollar, June 1, 1943, P6a (plate note) in about VF: $28,800 [£18,000 and possibly only extant example].

Among other high rollers were:

• Palestine, five pounds, Sept. 1, 1927, P8a in UNC: $92,800 [£58,000].
• Palestine, 50 pounds specimen, Sept. 7, 1939, P10c in EF: $44,800 [£28,000].
• Bank of England, Matthew Marshall 10 pounds, London 1835 in about VF: $35,200 [£22,000].
• Lebanon, 100 livres, 1945, P53 in good VF: $16,800 [£10,500 and one of possibly only 30 extant examples].

A buyer’s premium of 15-20 percent needs to be added to all prices cited. Full catalog details and prices realized are posted at www.spink.com.