January Postings 2014

- : HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014 : -

1 January 2014 - Happy new year to everyone. To welcome the new year, I have posted a commemorative note celebrating one of the two greatest sporting events which is going to take place this year. Here, I have posted the 2013 Russian 100 Rubles Hybrid Commemorative note issued to celebrate the 2014 XXl Winter Olympic games to be held in Sochi Russia. This is the first commemorative note ever issued by Russia. This note was released on 30.10.2013, exactly one hundred days before the opening ceremony of the Winter games (7-23 February 2014). A total of 20 million pieces were issued with letter prefixes of "AA", "Aa" and "aa", sighted so far. This is also a hybrid note printed by the Russian printer Goznak with similar technology like those developed by De La Rue and G&D. The note is printed in vertical format with the polymer strip located horizontally at the lower end of the note. With twenty million pieces printed each with 7-digits prefix, you work it out as to why 3 prefixes have been used. Not many legal tender banknotes commemorating the Olympic games (both Winter and Summer) have been issued in the past. This is the first for the Winter games and the forth for all Olympics games. The others are:  China RMB10, Hong Kong HKD20 and Macau MOP20, all celebrating the 2008 Beijing Summer games.

Greetings from the world 10 most spoken languages.

* 新 年 快 樂 2014 * 2014 नया साल मुबारक हो * Feliz Año Nuevo 2014 * С Новым Годом 2014 * سنة جديدة سعيدة 2014 * শুভ নববর্ষ 2014 * Feliz Ano Novo 2014 * Selamat Tahun Baru 2014 * Bonne Année 2014 *

2 January 2014 - Philippines 500 Piso Star Note dated 2010. This note bears the signatures of President Benigno Aquino III and Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. The main feature on this note is the portrait of Benigno Simeon Aquino Jr (1932-1983) who is also the father of curremt President of the Philippines Benigno Aquino III. The interesting about this note is that it includes a famous quote by Benigno Aquino Jr that "The Filipino Is Worth Dying For", whom he did suffered this own fate. He was murdered on his returned from self exile from the USA while stepping down from the air plane (China Airlines) on 21.08.1983. He didn't even had the chance to step onto the tarmac (home soil) at the Manila International Airport. He died instantly from a gun shot to his head. The supposedly gunman/assassin, Rolando Galman was also shot and killed immediately following the shooting of Benigno Aquino at the airport.


4 January 2014 - Sri Lanka 500 Rupees Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) commemorative. This note was issued on 15.11.2013 commemorating the 23rd CHOGM held in Colombo Sri Lanka (10-17 November 2013). CHOGM is a biennial summit meeting of the heads of government from all Commonwealth nations. The 2013 meeting was hosted by the President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapakso (Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office). Queen Elizabeth ll who is the Head of the Commonwealth did not attend this meeting but was represented by her eldest son, HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales. In all a total of 53 world leaders attended the meeting. This meeting was also boycotted by the governments of Canada, India and Mauritius in protest of widespread over human rights abuses against the country minority. The design of the note is the same as the 500 Rupees first issued in 2011 (1.1.2010 series) but with minor alterations. The CHOGM logo for this summit was added to the note replacing the butterfly that appears on the 2011 issue. A total of 5.0 million pieces were issued with serial numbers ranging from T/51 000001 to T/55 1000000. A small numbers of these notes are also sold in a folder at 800 Rupees each. This is the forth CHOGM note ever issued, I think, after Scotland (Clydesdale Bank plc 1997 £20), Uganda (2007 10,000 Shillings) and Trinidad &Tobago (2009 $100). The next CHOGM was supposed to be held in Mauritius and since the Government of Mauritius boycotted this meeting, they decided not to stage the next gathering. The 2015 CHOGM will be held at Malta and with Vanuatu staging the 2017 meeting. It is very unlikely that Malta will release any banknote to commemorate this special event given that they have adopted the Euro currency. Perhaps Vanuatu will in 2017.

6 January 2014 - Mauritius Polymer Set. This is a new set of 3 polymer notes issued on 22.08.2013, replacing those paper notes previously issued. These are also the first polymer notes ever issued by the country. The designs of these notes (main features) are similar to those paper notes previously issued, however given that these are polymer notes, additional securities features are added to the designs, such as transparent windows etc. One distinct feature added to the new notes is the image of a dodo on the transparent window. The dodo has been extincted for many years due to human consumptions (taste like chicken?). All notes are imprinted with a year date of 2013.

8 January 2014 - Europe 8 notes update. I have uploaded these notes to my previous postings. 1) Macedonia 4 notes 1992 prints. Here I have added the remaining of the four notes acquired recently, being the 500, 1000, 5000 and 10000 Denar all dated 1992. This is the first set of notes issued by the country following it's independence from Yugoslavia on 20.11.1992. These notes have very limited security features and after more than 20 years, they are still plenty available in the market. Getting this full set is like getting a piece of history from that part of the world. 2) The Royal Bank of Scotland (ROBS) 5 pounds note dated 30.11.2010 signed by Steven Hesters; and 3) Scotland Bank of Scotland £20 Pounds dated 19.01.2009. This note is printed with the signatures of J Eric Daniels (Governor) and Archie G Kane (Treasurer).

11 January 2014 - New Zealand - 2009 reprint. So far I have not seen any other denominations except the $5 note. I am wondering if others are also printed too. However it is unlikely that the $50 note has been printed for this particular year as the 2012 $50 piece has been released, unless the 2009 print was released much earlier.

12 January 2014 - Croatia Dinar Set (Republika Hrvatska - Republic of Croatia). A complete set of Croatia obsolete dinar notes issued between 1991 to 1993. In all, a total of 12 notes (P16a to P27a) from 1 Dinar to 100,000 Dinara. These notes have since been withdrew from circulation and as such no longer legal tender in the country. All notes are in uncirculated condition and all with matching serial numbers of 932. Noticed that the values of 20 and 50 Dinara were not printed for this series. The Republic of Croatia was formerly part of the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia since 1918. On 8.10.1991, the country declared independence following the break up of Yugoslavia. Since then, the country has changed it's national currency from Dinar to Kuna. A total of 50,000 sets were put together in a presentation folders as numismatic products for collectors.


17 January 2014 - Australia 1995 Embossed Commemorative First and Last folder. A total 3,500 sets of folder were issued with one paper note from the last print and one polymer note from the first print. The polymer note prints all have the prefix of AA95. The folder is imprinted with a raised star seal and with the following words - "First day of issue 4 October 1995". The polymer note itself is also printed with the same date. The $50 paper note has the letter prefix of FAB, which is also the last prefix of this series.The original issue price for this set was $129.




19 January 2014 - Bhutan 2013 Series. Here I have posted 4 notes of the 2013 series of 1, 10, 20 and 50 Ngulthum. The first two notes are Hybrid notes printed by G&D instead of their usual printer DLR.

25 January 2014 - Australia 1995 Embossed Commemorative First and Last folder. This folder set comprises of 2 notes, one from the last paper print run and one from the new polymer note with AA96 prefix. The paper note is printed with the last prefix of ZLD. The polymer note is also overprinted with the date of issue "15 May 1996". The original issue price for this folder was $259 per set. The folder with just the $100 polymer single note was sold for $129 each.

27 January 2014 - Australia 1996 $100 Portfolio Folder Two Notes set. This is the last of the Portfolio series, which comprises of two notes, one paper note of $100 from the last series and one dated polymer note with the date of issue printed on the note. These notes are sold in a hard cover folder. Both notes are printed with matching serial numbers with letter prefix of AA96. Like those previous portfolio issues, this is the only time where the paper note is printed with two letter prefixes and is printed in red as well. This isssue was limited to 900 sets with serial numbers ranging from AA96 000 101 to AA96 001 000. Initial issue price was $495.00, The first two sets were auction for $3000 and $500 respectively with all proceeds donated to charities.