PMG-certified Notes from French Guiana and the Ottoman Empire Impress in MDC Monaco Auction

Great rarities from French Guiana and the Ottoman Empire were among more than 200 banknotes certified by Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG®) that were offered in a recent auction. The MDC Monaco Auction 14 was held on May 3-5, 2024.

The top PMG-certified note in the auction was a French Guiana, Caisse Centrale ND (ca. 1960) 50 Nouveaux Francs on 5,000 Francs graded PMG 20 Very Fine (lot 1608), realizing €26,400 (about $28,000). French Guiana is an overseas department of France located just north of Brazil. This is the only issued example of this catalog number in the PMG Population Report.

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Another top paper money rarity in the sale was a Turkey, Banque Imperiale Ottomane ND (1873) / AH1290 1 Livre graded PMG 15 Choice Fine (lot 1697), which realized €22,800 (about $25,000). Banque Imperiale Ottomane was a French-British venture based in Constantinople that thrived in the late 19th and early 20th century. This note is the only example of its catalog number in the PMG Population Report.

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The auction also featured hundreds of coins certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company® (PMG's affiliate for grading coins tokens and medals). These included seven that realized prices of at least $100,000, led by a Great Britain 1817 Gold Pattern Crown graded NGC PF 65 Ultra Cameo (lot 944), which realized €720,000 (about $776,000). To learn more about other coin highlights in the sale, click here.

Other PMG certified highlights in the sale included:

• a Madagascar 1942 5,000 Francs Specimen graded PMG 50 About Uncirculated NET (lot 1631), which realized €16,800 (about $18,000)
• a Turkey, Ministry of Finance ND (1917) / AH1333 25 Livres graded PMG 53 About Uncirculated (lot 1705), which realized €16,800 (about $18,000)
• a Turkey / Ottoman Empire ND (1861) / AH1277 50 Kurush graded PMG 30 Very Fine (lot 1691), which realized €15,600 (about $17,000)
• a Turkey / Ottoman Empire ND (1861) / AH1277 100 Kurush graded PMG 15 Choice Fine NET (lot 1722), which realized €15,600 (about $17,000)
• a Turkey, Ministry of Finance ND (1917) / AH1333 25 Livres graded PMG 45 Choice Extremely Fine (lot 1706), which realized €14,400 (about $16,000)
• a Turkey, Ministry of Finance 1918 / AH1334 100 Livres graded PMG 15 Choice Fine (lot 1710), which realized €13,200 (about $14,000)

Prices realized include buyer's premium. The $ symbol represents US Dollars.