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Auction: CSS51 - The Numismatic Collectors' Series sale
Lot: 638

The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, $50, expedient specimen overprinted on an issued note, 1.11.1934, serial number U/H 021432, brown and black, male Roman soldier at left, bank coat of arms upper centre, denomination at each corner, clear handsigned signature at lower left, reverse brown, rice planting scene at right, allegorical symbols at each corner, 'SPECIMEN' block letters printed on both sides, punch hole cancelled, (Pick 56s), PMG 30 Very Fine (Expedient Specimen, Minor Rust), a superb original note with one horizontal fold and three vertical folds. The paper quality and colours are firm and fresh. A highly unusual note reminiscent of the $50 'Big Gourd' expedient specimen Spink sold in August 2019 for $384,000 (including Buyer's Premium). "Expedient Specimens" were likely used, though only as a limited practice, to identify forgery notes at a time when specimens were few in numbers or were not ordered to be made by the bank. Considering that the 1st November 1934 issue of Chartered $50 was the last of its series, and that an issued note well into circulation was converted into a specimen, it would seem that by the time the bank needed a specimen of this date of issue there were no fresh notes remaining for use. It is not clear as to when exactly the circulation of this series of Chartered $50s was terminated, and it was not resurrected either in post-war Hong Kong. Nevertheless, this practice was extremely limited given that only one example of each type is recorded to date. Of the highest rarity and quality.
1934年印度新金山中國渣打銀行50元臨時樣票加蓋流通票，編號U/H 021432，PMG 30，輕微鏽漬，頂級品相原裝紙，顏色深潤，2019年斯賓克夏拍曾以$384,000(連佣金)拍出50元「大葫蘆」臨時樣票，雖然設立臨時樣票之原因今人無從稽考，但可確定的是臨時樣票可取代正式樣票，迄今有記載的臨時樣票寥寥可數，每版別僅得一枚，此票珍罕程度及品相均無可匹敵

Sold for
HK$100,000

Starting price
HK$50000