In the upcoming September Long Beach auction, Heritage Currency will be offering a complete paper money proof design collection for both the Kingdom and the Republic of Hawaii.

This is the largest offering of Hawaii proofs since the 1990 auction of the ABNCo archives. Proofs are the only realistic way to collect notes from this exotic locale as issued notes are unpriced in the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money.

These proofs were originally housed in the same printer’s binder and thus they share many characteristics. They have been printed on India paper, cut down to the size of the design, and mounted on a 9 by 11 inch card stock-like, type-written dated binder page. In all but a couple of cases, the issued stub is present. The face and back proofs are mounted on the same binder page except in two instances. The binder page also has behind it an interleaved page that was manufactured at the Crane & Co. paper mill in Dalton, Massachusetts.

The face vignettes are for the most part ranching, commercial sailing, and railroading with the occasional Hawaii specific vignette. Each face proof has from two to four punch cancels as is normal for proof notes. The punch cancels are only through the India paper and not the card stock. Also, the faces have the denomination in both English and Hawaiian.

Each back proof carries the Hawaiian Coat of Arms which includes two men in feathered cloaks and helmets flanking the shield. They are said to be the twins Kameeiamoku and Kamanawa, who helped Kamehameha I unify the islands in 1810. The motto “Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono” (“The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”) is written on a sash under the scene. Two slightly different versions of the Coat of Arms are depicted depending if the note was printed during the monarchy or later during the republic era.

All in all, these are historical and important notes that exhibit some of the finest of the engraver’s art. Also, do not let the abundance of Hawaiian riches in this auction fool you in to believing that these notes are commonly available. These notes have been off the market for over a generation and it might be that long again before another opportunity arises.

Heritage Auction Galleries, the official auctioneer of the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectible Expo, will conduct a 6,000+ lot Currency Signature® Auction on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, September 17-19, 2008 at the Long Beach Convention Center, 100 South Pine Ave., Long Beach, California. The Convention Center is also the site of the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Collectible Show, as well as the location for lot viewing for all Heritage auctions. Nearly 2,000 of the lots will be included as part of the online session.”The auction is anchored by the impressive $5mm+ Jupiter Collection and the Dr. Edward and Joanne Dauer Collection of Demand Notes,” said Dustin Johnston, Consignment Director for Dallas-based Heritage. “Other notable collections include offerings from the Albert Rollins Collection, The Norman Collection, The Sandpoint Collection of Idaho Nationals, and another installment from the Collection of a Louisiana Gentleman.”

“Wednesday evening’s session will open with more than 300 Colonials anchored by the Collection of a Louisiana Gentleman,” Johnston said, “and will then continue on move to a selection of more than 400 Obsoletes, including a complete denomination set of PMG graded Kirtland Safety Society Mormon Notes, and many high grade Proofs. Confederate Notes, MPC’s, Canadian Currency, Encased Postage, and Fractional Currency will round out the evening. Perhaps the most important highlight of this session is one of Canada’s most coveted rarities, a newly discovered DC-19 1911 $500 ‘Queen Mary’ graded Very Fine 20 by PMG.”

Johnston continued, “Session Two, which kicks off early Thursday evening, will feature over 800 National Banks Notes, including some of the most exciting discovery notes of the year. The Fr. 399 1865 $5 Original Ch. 2130 First NB Red Oak, IA Serial Number One with Black Charter Numbers, a Fr. 618 1902 $10 Date Back Ch. (P) 9512 The Peoples NB National City, CA Serial Number One, and a Fr. 616 1902 $10 Date Back Ch. (S) 7740 Claiborne NB of Tazewell, TN, will all be offered to collectors for the first time. The Tazewell note is the first reported note from this locale, and the Black Charter Number, Serial Number One note is the only Black Charter serial number one example known to exist.” (more…)

Heritage Auction Galleries will offer one of the rarest Canadian notes ever printed, the “Queen Mary” $500 1911, in their upcoming Long Beach Currency Signature Auction, to be held September 17-19, 2008.

“This is an amazing note, one of the classic rarities in Canadian currency,” said Michael Moczalla, Consignment Director for Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries. “Until the discovery of this particular piece, there were only two examples known to exist in private hands. In fact, this type and denomination is so rare that it is even lacking in the official Bank of Canada collection!”

“The specimen we’re offering in our Long Beach auction has been graded PMG Very Fine 20 with mention of minor restorations, which, although present, are exceedingly difficult to detect,” Moczalla said. “Its existence represents a true miracle of survival, attesting to the fact that these high denomination pieces were actually used in commerce. If this were a United States issue, recognized as only the third example known for the design type, it would easily be a million dollar note.”

“Canadian notes have been growing steadily in popularity and, given the performance of the Flynn Collection – which was part of our record-setting Central States auction held earlier this year – the market for true Canadian rarities is beginning to generate prices which are now standard south of the border. The current Charlton catalog places a value on this note in this grade of $250,000 Canadian. Our best guess here is that this ‘Queen Mary’ note will bring a solid six figure price, but if two or more determined bidders decide they have to own it, our estimate will likely be conservative in the extreme.”

To view all the lots in the upcoming auction, please visit www.HA.com/Currency.