Europe

Kirsten Flagstad is the subject of the front of these Norway 100 kroner notes issued between 2006 and 2010 (P49e) She was the outstanding Wagnerian soprano of her generation. Her debut in New York in 1935 led to her being hailed as the voice of the 20h century. She was born in 1895 and died in 1962. The back of the note has an aerial view of a theatre auditorium. Crisp Uncirculated.

This 10 zlotych note was issued in Poland in 1994.(P173a) The front features a portrait of Miesko I, who was the first Christian ruler of independent Poland in the 10th century. A silver denier coin is featured on the back. Crisp Uncirculated.

Issued in 1919, this 1000 marek is pretty impressive. It’s as large as our old White £5 and densely engraved in the style of the time. National hero Tadeusz Kosciusko is on the front. He fought on the US side during the American Revolutionary War (P29) Available in Crisp EF/ GEF at £12.50

Poland 20 zlotych 1940 P95 Grey on white Statue of young woman with children at l and head of young woman at r/ Church in panel Crisp Unc

Blue and multicoloured, Copernicus at right, Solar system on back. Uncirculated

The subject of this 100 escudos note is Fernando Pessoa, considered one of the greatest poets in the Portuguese language.(P179) Born in 1888 he died at the age of 47 in 1935. He was a prolific writer and has been described as one of the most significant literary figures of the 20th century. His portrait, wearing his trademark hat, appears on the front and rosebuds feature on the back. Crisp Uncirculated.

These 20 escudos notes from Portugal dated 1978 feature a portrait of Admiral Gago Coutinho. He was famous for being the first to cross the South Atlantic Ocean by air from March to June 1922 from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil An illustration of his seaplane Lusitania is illustrated on the back.(P176) Crisp Uncirculated.

Portuguese Guinea 50 escudos 1971 P44 Green. Nuno Tristao at r/ Allegorical woman looking out to ships and sea. Unc

After 1929 The Provincial Bank of Ireland Limited had to change all its banknotes from payable in Dublin to payable in Belfast. This was because Ireland was now an independent nation and different from Northern Ireland which was a part of Great Britain. These crisp Uncirculated notes are dated 1926 and payable in Dublin so they had to be destroyed. They drilled holes in them to show they were no longer payable and legal tender. A few years ago a small group of them were found and they sold for over £100 each. We finally tracked down the owner and bought all that they had left. Remember these £1 notes are almost 100 years old and in crisp Uncirculated condition, they are just beautiful. The catalogue price is £75.00 but when Coincraft – Britain’s Coin Shop buys right, we sell right. So you can add one of these Rare Irish 1926 Pounds to your collection for just £39.50.

Romania 2000 lei 1999 P111 Blue printed on polymer plastic Issued to mark Total eclipse of the sun. Planets/ Trajectory of eclipse Unc

A beautiful and colourful 50 Lei note issued by The National Bank of Romania in 2005

We offer examples of the 100 rouble note dated 1910 featuring a portrait of Empress Catherine the Great on the back and in the watermark.(P13) These were amongst the last notes issued under the Russian Tsars and measure approximately 10” x 5”. At the time they were issued they were worth 4 ounces of gold. Here we present this wonderful note in VG.

Russia 100 roubles 2018 P-New Blue and m/c Printed in polymer plastic I Issued to mark World Cup Young boy with football, goalie diving to save ball/ Football. Unc

These Russia 50 kopecks were issued as a Treasury Small Change note in 1915 (P31) It’s fairly small. It’s a simple affair with a crowned double headed eagle as the main illustration. This motif was disbanded after the Russian Revolution which followed two years later in 1917. Available here in EF.

These Russia 50 kopecks were issued as a Treasury Small Change note in 1915 (P31) It’s fairly small. It’s a simple affair with a crowned double headed eagle as the main illustration. This motif was disbanded after the Russian Revolution which followed two years later in 1917. Available here in Crisp Uncirculated.

Issued in 1909, just 8 years before the Russian Revolution, these 25 roubles feature an impressive portrait of Alexander III on the back (P12) He was Tsar of Russia from 1881 until 1894. He became Tsar after the assassination of his father Alexander II. The front has a fairly simple design with Imperial crowned double headed eagle on the front and sunburst underprint design. Alexander’s stern portrait is on the back

After the Russian Revolution in 1917, banknotes were issued by a vast number of entities until 1922 when the Soviet Union was established and a unified currency for the whole territory was introduced. These 100 rouble notes were issued for Turkestan in 1918 (PS1168).Russian Turkestan was a region of Central Asia which today consists of the republics of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Tajikistan, Kyrgystan and Kazakhstan. Its capital was Tashkent. The central vignette is a double headed eagle holding three shields. The design on the back incorporates another double headed eagle and a star and crescent alluding perhaps to the Turkic speaking population. If this note ever turns up it’s just one or maybe two at a time so we were delighted when a traveller recently sold us a small group in Good Fine-VF. A scarce note.

Superb examples of the 100 rouble note dated 1910 featuring a portrait of Empress Catherine the Great on the back and in a fabulous watermark. (P13)These were amongst the last notes issued under the Russian Tsars and measure approximately 10 inches x 5 inches. At the time they were issued they were worth 4 ounces of gold which is why those fleeing the revolution stuffed their suitcases with them. While most notes we see are in circulated condition this group is from an original block and are in wonderful condition grading AU/Unc. Wonderful notes

We offer examples of the 100 rouble note dated 1910 featuring a portrait of Empress Catherine the Great on the back and in the watermark.(P13) These were amongst the last notes issued under the Russian Tsars and measure approximately 10” x 5”. At the time they were issued they were worth 4 ounces of gold. Here we present this wonderful note in Fine.

Issued in 1909, just 8 years before the Russian Revolution, these 25 roubles feature an impressive portrait of Alexander III on the back (P12) He was Tsar of Russia from 1881 until 1894. He became Tsar after the assassination of his father Alexander II. The front has a fairly simple design with Imperial crowned double headed eagle on the front and sunburst underprint design. Alexander’s stern portrait is on the back.

We offer examples of the 1000 dinar dated 1942 and issued when Serbia was under German Occupation (P32/TBB311) In delicate pastel shades, the front depicts a blacksmith at work and a woman seated with spun wool. The back features a young shepherdess with her flock and a farmer sowing seeds. A wonderful note, now 80 years old and in EF/ GEF condition.

A colourful set of 5 Uncirculated notes issued by Serbia between 2010 and 2014. Included are examples of the 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 dinara. The fronts are dominated by important personalities, including Nikola Tesla, inventor of the electric dynamo. The backs have vertical portraits of the same personalities and motifs from their lives Uncirculated.

When the Germans occupied Yugoslavia, they arranged for different banknote issues for Serbia and Croatia. The initial Serbian notes used old Yugoslavia notes until a new set of notes could be produced. This 500 dinar note uses a Yugoslavia 1000 Dinara note dated 1941 overprinted with the new value and the new Bank title (P24 ) The underlying note is particularly attractive with a French-style printing with allegorical women in a pastoral setting. These wartime Serbia 500 Dinara Grading VF and better this wartime.

During the 2nd World War, Serbia was occupied by the Germans. A special wartime issue of banknotes was issued and circulated and it is from this series that we are delighted to offer. We have crisp EF+ examples of the 500 dinara dated 1941 (P31). It is handsomely engraved with an agricultural theme of a farmer sowing seeds on one side and then reaping the harvest on the other.

Yugoslavian notes overprinted for use in Serbia during the Second World War