Greek Rarity Among Hundreds of PMG-certified World Notes Offered in Stack's Bowers Sale

A rare and highly coveted Greek banknote is among hundreds of world notes certified by Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG®) offered in an upcoming Stack's Bowers sale. Bidding is currently underway for Stack's May 2023 Maastricht Auction - Session A - World Paper Money sale, which is being held on May 4, 2023.

The top lot in the auction is a rare Greece, National Bank 1923 500 Drachmai (lot 50452) graded NGC 40 Extremely Fine. The reverse shows the Hagia Sophia, a prominent historical and cultural site in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the center of Orthodox Christianity for centuries. According to the auction house, it is believed to have been part of a group that was stolen and spent by an employee of the banknote printer. One of only two examples of this particular note in the PMG Population Report, it has an estimate of $75,000 to $100,000.

Greece, National Bank 1923 500 Drachmai graded PMG 40 Extremely Fine Click images to enlarge.

Other PMG-certified notes in this auction include:

• a Greece, Ionian Bank 1876-83 25 New Drachmai graded PMG 12 Fine NET (lot 50446), with an estimate of $50,000 to $75,000
• a Palestine, Currency Board 1944 10 Pounds graded PMG 65 Gem Uncirculated EPQ (lot 50647), with an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000
• a Panama, Banco Central de Emision 1941 20 Balboas graded PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated (lot 50653), with an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000
• a Danish West Indies, Colonial Bank ND (1836) 15 Dollars Proof graded PMG 63 Choice Uncirculated (lot 50318), with an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000
• a Suriname, Surinaamsche Bank 1941-48 100 Gulden graded PMG 40 Extremely Fine (lot 50755), with an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000
• a Trinidad & Tobago ND (1914) 1,000 Dollars Specimen Proof graded PMG 50 About Uncirculated (lot 50769), with an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000
• a Belgian Congo, Banque du Congo Belge 1920 1,000 Francs graded PMG 58 Choice About Uncirculated (lot 50072), with an estimate of $15,000 to $25,000
• an Italian Somaliland 1950 100 Somali graded PMG 67 Superb Gem Uncirculated EPQ (lot 50516), with an estimate of $15,000 to $25,000
• a Norway, Norges Bank 1942 1,000 Kroner Specimen graded PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated (lot 50628), with an estimate of $15,000 to $25,000
• a Panama, Banco Central de Emision 1941 10 Balboas graded PMG 30 Very Fine (lot 50652), with an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000

Estimates are provided by the auction house. The $ symbol represents US Dollars.