New Zealand Banknotes

Lot 3344    Session 12 (11:30am Thursday 2 August)    New Zealand Banknotes

Estimate $12,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au

RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND, G.Wilson (1955-56), one pound, number over letter, 0/K 274445 (P.169b; Robb R.225). Good body to paper, pin hole in left bottom margin, minor stain, very fine or better and very rare.

Robb states that the prefix was issued in error and that the correct prefix should have been K/0 (letter over number). He estimates that approximately 300,000 were printed around 1955. Robb also notes that the prefix run is 'the end of a sub type, as well as the mintage figure, has created the rarest Reserve Bank note'.

In 1998 Robb records that only 7 notes were known. In 2018 Scott de Young has 11 notes recorded, one being unconfirmed (may be a duplication with a one digit difference in serial number), this includes the note in the next lot. Therefore 10 confirmed. It is interesting that only a further three notes have surfaced in the past 20 years. There are also two proof and three specimens in existence.