Previous Lot Next Lot

Auction: CSS45 - Banknotes, Bonds & Shares and Coins of China and Hong Kong
Lot: 549

Government of Tibet, a pair of 100 Srang, ND (1942-1959), one normal note bearing the serial number NA 17178 and the other an extremely rare ERROR NOTE with an inverted interior legend, and bears the serial number Za1/10528.

This legend was normally printed on the interior side of the reverse sheet, but on this note it must have been printed by mistake on the interior side of the obverse sheet.

The interior legend transliterated reads:
gnam bskos dga´ ldan
pho brang phyogs las rnam rgyal

Translation: "The heavenly appointed Ganden Palace, victorious in all directions." This refers to the Ganden Palace in the Drepung Monastery near Lhasa which served as main residence of the Dalai Lamas until the Great 5th and in a wider sense means "Tibetan Government".

(Pick 11a), the normal note graded PCGS Banknote 58 Choice About Uncirculated Details (Pinhole), the error note graded 50 About Uncirculated Details (Pinholes, Writing in Pencil). A fascinating pair discussed in the article by Colin R. Bruce II: "It's Backwards, Upside Down!" in World Coin News, vol. 9, no. 19, May 11, 1982, p.3. A photocopy of the relevant article is included in the lot. To date this error note is unique and will be a crown jewel in any collection of Tibetan banknotes

Estimate
HK$380,000 to HK$450,000