REVIEW: WORLD BANKNOTES: 29 MAY

The SS Shirala, with 5,000 tons of cargo and 213 passengers was ploughing a course from London to Bombay when a German U-Boat torpedoed her in the port side on 2 July, 1918.

The Shirala sank and eight people were lost, along with the cargo, which consisted of 180 tons of ammunition 1,700 tons of mail and diamonds, vehicle spares, binoculars, telescopes, ivory, wine and even marmalade.

 

Among the floating wreckage were also to be found numerous banknotes, printed in London for use in India. These were signed one, and unsigned five and ten rupee notes.
Very few remain in private hands today, but two of these surviving notes considerably outstripped their estimates in this sale.

A10 Rupee note, printed for Rangoon, and dated 25 May 1918, and with the serial number ID/43 51687, was unsigned and also had superb quality original paper. Very rare, it was about extremely fine and very rare and sold for £6,500 against a guide of £2,000-2,600.

The consecutive 10 Rupee note, numbered ID/43 51688, was also on offer here. Again, unsigned and on superb quality original paper, but with some rubber band residue on the reverse, it was also pitched at £2,000-2,600, and sold for £5,500.