Lost in the post: $16,000 Malayan bank notes return to sender for London sale

An upcoming numismatic auction includes some wartime notes that have greatly appreciated in value

British numismatic auction house London Coins will be conducting their latest sale in early March - with some choice pieces available to the collectors market.  The company specialises in the sale of British and World banknotes, as well as English coins, medals and several other categories. 

Next month's auction features lots ranging from three figures to several thousand, presenting a spectrum of investment opportunity for collectors of different experience and means.

The star lot is a pair of Malayan 1 and 5 dollar banknotes.  They were originally printed in the UK in 1940, but were intercepted by the Germans en route to their final destination, eventually settling in Japan. 

These specimen notes were sent by the Singapore Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (HKSB) to Bangkok HKSB in 1941.  These perfect examples have an impressive estimate of £5,000-10,000.

Show me the money: A rare Malayan 5 dollar banknote

Also included is a British Military Authority one pound note, issued between 1943 and 1945.  Purple on orange, the note was created for use in Greece and only 25 were printed.  This incredibly desirable note, rarely seen on the open market, could sell for £6,000-8,000.

There are some high quality rare coins available too.  An extremely rare gold sovereign from 1831, depicting King William IV on the obverse and the Royal Coat of Arms on the reverse, has an estimate of £6,000-8,000, while a beautiful five guinea piece from 1688 could be sold for between £4,500-5,500.

There are many more items available, all collectible and many very affordable for entry-level investors.  Those looking to sit at the top table will need to spend more, but with a maximum estimate of £10,000, a serious coin investor could easily obtain some rare and beautiful bargains.