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Auction: 25009 - World Banknotes Featuring the Cassia and Cedar Collections
Lot: 56

Government of Sarawak, *TOP POP* specimen 50 Dollars, ND (1918-22), serial number 9,
This uniface specimen 50 Dollar banknotes is printed in black and white, with an orange denomination. There is a "SPECIMEN" perforation at the bottom right of the design, and a serial number printed only on the right side of the obverse. Most prominently, the note features two portraits: one of Charles Vyner Brooke, the third "White Rajah" of Sarawak (the second to appear on its paper money), and the other of British philanthropist Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, 1st Baroness Burdett-Coutts.
The White Rajahs of Sarawak were a unique dynasty of British adventurers who ruled the kingdom as their own. Although Sarawak was not initially a British colony, but rather an independent kingdom under their control, British oversight gradually increased. Their rule represents an unusual and often controversial chapter in the history of British expansion.
In 1837, Angela Burdett-Coutts was one of the wealthiest women in England and was supposedly described by King Edward VII as "[a]fter my mother, the most remarkable woman in the kingdom." The Baroness was a fascinating figure and her life has been remembered in many literary homages since her death in 1906, including works by Charles Dickens, George MacDonald Fraser, and more recently Terry Pratchett. She is depicted on this banknote alongside symbols of commerce and prosperity.
The coat of arms of the Raj of Sarawak is also depicted is an emblem originally used by James Brooke, the first White Raj. It features a red and black cross on a yellow shield, though here it appears in black and white. Atop sits a badger, known in heraldry as a "brock," a symbol associated with the White Raj's surname. This coat of arms remained in use until 1946, when the Crown Colony of Sarawak was established and the emblem was changed.

(Pick 13s, KNB19S), in PMG holder 50 About Uncirculated, printer´s annotation, previously mounted, the Sole banknote of this type graded to date by PMG

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Estimate
£10,000 to £15,000

Starting price
£6000