262) LOUIS XIV ORDINAIRES DES GUERRES SILVER JETON 1713

F# 517 var. (metal), 1713 (Silver), Obv. Ludovicus. MAGNUS. REX "Louis le Grand, Roi" (Louis the Great, King) Bust right of Louis XIV, signed TB (by Thomas Bernard). Rev. DANT. STRAGEM QUOCUMQUE. RUUNT.; ORDINAIRES DES GUERRES 1713 ("They are causing bloodshed wherever they go"). Two war elephants from the right and overturning everything in their path. 6.19g, 28mm, extremely fine.

261) GREAT BRITAIN VICTORIA 1887 PROOF CROWN

Great Britain Queen Victoria Jubilee Head Proof Crown 1887. S# 3921. A truly magnificent piece of art. A coin that displays with tremendous passion the exceptional work and craftmanship of Benedetto Pistrucci. Left untouched since striking has toned to variable degrees of the entire color spectrum with violet and green and purple coming out strong and enhancing the work that was accomplished more than a century ago and still unsurpassed in beauty. If FDC can safely describe a coin of this age this is it. The most beautiful coin in this collection (and the Gothic Crown too).

260) GEORGE VI 1937 SPECIMEN SET

KM# PS 21/ Spink# PS16, proof strike. Crown to Farthing, including Maundy set, 15 coins. Nearly FDC to FDC.

See Elizabeth II 1953 Proof Set

259) GREAT BRITAIN NUMISMATICS REFERENCE BOOKS

Newly added to my personal library: 4 useful Great Britain numismatics references books.

258) MALAYA JAPANESE OCCUPATION NOTES

Japanese government-issued currencies in Malaya,
the banana $10 (Bahasa Malaysia: Wang pisang) with serial number.

J# 7 in Steven Tan catalog. Quite scarce. Nearly very fine.

Those without serial number are very common and even very low market value in uncirculated condition.

Malaya Japanese Propaganda Issues

1944-1945 Malaya Japanese Propaganda Issues, printed in the style of The Japanese Government (J.I.M), ten dollars, Prefix MN. J# 19 in Steven Tan catalog./ B#16 KN Boon Catalog. An exceptionally rare find to be in such prestine condition given this issue was air-dropped by the British over Singapore and Malaya during the Japanese occupation and the sensativity that surrounds the keeping of such note which was a sure invitation to death if found. Most surviving air dropped examples which landed amongst the populous are usually in poor condition given the trying circumstances. Good very fine or nearly extremely fine.

The History Behind This Propaganda Note

In Wong Hon Sum's book "The Japaneses Occupation of Malaya (Singapore) and its Currency", in a similar fashion when General Douglas McArthur air dropped propaganda leaflets over the Japanese Occupation in the phillipines saying 'I'll be back". Wong outlines the circumstances of this interesting rarity (Wong, 1996, p.126): "The British forces began air dropping these leaflets over Malaya and Singapore in late 1944 or early 1945 and the Japanese had not surrendered by then. As such, the people were afraid to be caught in possession of these leaflets, resulting in their rarity today. The Malay words WANG JEPUN AKAN MATI BERSAMA2 JEPUN written obliquely across the face of the note mean "The Japanese invasion money will perish with the demise of the Japanese".

The back of the leaflet carries notices in Malay, Jawi and Chinese printed in red. The Chinese version reads: "The Japanese had been driven out of Burma and their invasion notes had been annulled. But the British Burmese currency is still legal tender. When the British return to Malaya, the Straits currency will retain its value, but the Japanese invasion currency will perish together with the demise of the Japanese". These leaflets were printed by the British Psychological Warfare Division in Calcutta, and there is a serial number at the bottom of the Jawi text on its back - SMA/39.

References
Boon, K.N., 2009, Malaysia, Brunei & Singapore Banknote & Coins, 4th Edition, A Joint Publication by International Educational & Cultural Exchange Foundation and Trigometric Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia)

Wong, Hon Sum, 1996, The Japanese occupation of Malaya (Singapore) and its currency. Singapore: Wong's Collection. ISBN: 9810081901. (Singapore)

Steven, Tan, 2007, Standard Catalogue of Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Coin & Paper Money, 18th Edition. (Malaysia)

Acknowledgement
Thanks to Mr. Benjamin Lee for the information.

256) FRENCH INDOCHINA 1920 10 CENTS & 20 CENTS

This is one of the most interesting date of French Indochina silver coins, which was debased the silver from 0.835 fineness to 0.400 (dropped 52%) but weight increased from 2.75g to 3.1g for 10 Cents (KM# 14), and 5.4g to 6g for 20 cents (KM# 15). People in Indochina against it due to the low content of silver, and finally 0.680 fineness coins were issued (湯國彥 et al., 1993, p.68). Consequently, 10 Cents is scarce and 20 cents is very tough to locate, especially in mint states. I cannot find any information about the recalled/melted for both denomination of 1920, but from the scarcity of both coins, recalled or melted were possible. The actual rarity level is far higher than Krause SCWC suggested (no one update this part for several years...).

The characteristic of both 10 and 20 cents are weak struck, and a bit crude particularly the edge; without mint marks and without fineness indicated. Usually some sellers/collectors grade the mint states specimen as almost uncirculated because of its weak struck on both obverse and reverse (look likes very fine to good very fine details; this case is similar as British Edward VII coins particularly large coin such as Crown or half crown, obverse side looks like worn but actually it's mint states). What's the different within weak strike mint states and circulated condition is the 'worn' area is still with original mint luster, whereas circulated coin with darker mark or no mint luster on it, or extra 'bright' (rub) on worn area [not cabinet friction]. For this 10 cents example, this is clearly a circulated coin with little wear, although it looks like moderate wear, whereas the 20 cents here is mint states, but look likes VF details with original mint luster.

Besides 10 Cents and 20 Cents, silver Piastre (KM# 5a.3) were also struck in San Francisco as well, i.e. without mint mark. It's interesting to know why the silver content of Piastre was not debased whereas the 10 and 20 cents debased in silver fineness. Anyone can tell?

Krause SCWC states that without mintmark are either strike in Hanoi, Vietnam or Osaka, Japan. However, the coins were strike in San Francisco should be without mint marks except "S" on copper-nickel 20 cents 1941 reeded edge non-magnetic coin.


References
Krause & Mishler, Standard Catalog of World Coins 1901 - 2000. 2008 (35th ed.), 2009 (36th ed.), 2010 (37th ed.), 2011 (38th ed.). Krause Publication.

Semans, Scott, VIETNAM CASH COINAGE 970 - 1945, coincoin.com.

湯國彥 et al., 1993, 越南歷史貨幣, 第一版, 中國金融出版社

Acknowledgement
Thanks to Mr. Bruce Smith for the discussion to confirm the mint area of the coin.

255) GREAT BRITAIN SOVEREIGN 1872 - 1968

British sovereign; all are common date. Nice for bullion investments and / or coin collection. 0.2355 oz. actual gold weight each. Condition: Fine to EF+ (Victoria to George V), UNC (Elizabeth II). 1901-s: Sydney mint, Australia, 1878 and 1886-M, 1908-M: Melbourne mint, Australia. Total 3.768 troy ounce of fine gold.