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THE (ALMOST) PERFECT CRIME

This Bahain 20 Dinar banknote was part of what was an almost perfect crime that threatened the stability of the economy of Bahrain. The note was the largest denomination issued by Bahrain.  In late 1997 a group of con-men approached a South American banknote manufacturer with a forged order from the Bahrain Monetary Agency for several million of the current Bahrain 20 Dinar banknote, which had been introduced in 1993. The manufacturer, believing the men and their order to be legitimate, carefully created printing plates from an original note and secured 8 tons of banknote paper with the original watermark and security threads from the French manufacturer that had provided the paper for the original printing of the notes.  The notes were printed in May 1998. During the first week of June huge quantities of the 20 Dinar banknotes were presented to branches of the Bahrain Monetary Agency and there were a number of currency transactions involving Bahraini Dinars in Lebanon and Europe.  Careful examination of the notes being presented showed subtle difference from the notes that had been in circulation.  Calls were made to Thomas de La Rue, the original printers of the note to see if they had altered the plates.  It was soon determined that they had not printed the notes, therefore the new notes must be forgeries.  On June 8 the Bahrain Monetary Agency announced the discovery of the forged notes.  Individuals that had accepted the forged notes had a week to exchange them. Bahrain soon ordered the withdrawal of all existing 20 Dinar banknotes in circulation and a new 20 Dinar note, bearing the same design but different colors, was introduced.  The forged notes, having been printed by a security banknote printing firm using the latest equipment and using the same paper as the legitimate notes made them the almost perfect forgery.  The biggest difference was that the South American firm had a different numbering machine, thus the forged notes have a larger gap between the two Arabic letters to the left of the serial number on the right hand corner of the front of the note than the original notes. Considering that the original notes had a face value of about $60 and catalog for $80, the price for this scarcer, unauthorized issue is quite reasonable.

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NORTH KOREAN BANKNOTE BARGAIN

Due to severe limits on travel and foreign exchange transactions, banknotes from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea can be difficult and expensive to get.  We have been able to obtain two North Korean banknotes which we can offer at a small fraction of their catalog value.  Both notes feature “Socialist Realism” art that is used for propaganda purposes in North Korea.  The blue 1998 5 Won shows students on the front and a palace on the back.  It has a catalog value of $8.00.  The brown 1992 50 Won shows three young, professionals on the front and has a mountainous landscape on the back.  It has a catalog value of $10.00  Both notes are Crisp Uncirculated and include the North Korean arms on the front.

For coins of Korea please see:
NORTH KOREAN COINS FEATURE TRANSPORTATION THEMES
MULTI-COLORED OLYMPIC COINS FROM NORTH KOREA
SOUTH KOREA COIN SET
KINGDOM OF KOREA 1/4 YANG 1898
SCARCE KOREAN COIN FROM THE MILITARY TRAINING COMMAND

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WARLORD NOTE OF SOMALIA

After the overthrow of the government of Somalia in 1991 the country quickly collapsed into anarchy as various warlords attempted to establish dominance.  The United States sent troops into Somalia to try to stop the fighting, but with little success. This attractive 50 N.Shilin note was issued by Ali Mahdi Mohammed, a warlord who controlled northern Mogadishu.  The note was made to pay his troops who were battling Mohammed Farah Aideed in the “Banana War”.  The war was about who got to collect the taxes on Somalia’s banana exports! The scarce, multi-colored note shows a man working a loom on the front.  The back shows a banana plant and a young person leading a donkey carrying three children. The note is dated 1991, but was issued later.  We offer the note at far less than its $15 catalog value.

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SHIPS ON SCARCE SOMALILAND BANKNOTE

After the collapse of the government of Somalia in 1991, the northern area of the country, once known as British Somaliland, declared its independence and called itself Somaliland.  Somaliland has few resources and has not been internationally recognized, yet it is one of the most stable and best run nations in Africa.  The government finances itself primarily on taxes from the export of sheep and goats to Saudi Arabia.  This 2008 dated 500 Shillings note pictures goats being headed onto an awaiting line of ships on the back and a building on the front.

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BANKNOTES OF THE PRIVATE BANKS OF HONG KONG

Hong Kong is one of the few places left in the world where private banks are still allowed to issue currency for general circulation.  There are only two private, note-issuing banks left in Hong Kong.  Both banks were founded in Hong Kong in the 19th Century, have grown into some of the largest banks in the world. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, now known as HSBC, and the Standard Chartered Bank.  We offer Crisp Uncirculated 10 Dollar notes from each of these unusual private banks.

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UNUSUAL FILIPINO NOTES

An American might wonder about the designs on these Philippine 2 and 5 Piso notes from the late 1970's. The reverse of the 5 Piso note shows a group of men gathered under a "KKK" banner with a skull and candle cutting themselves with knives!  The note does not commemorate a Klan meeting, but rather the founding of the Katipunan Society which fought for Philippine independence from Spain.  The 2 Piso note shows Jose Rizal on the front. Rizal was a writer that wanted reform the Spanish rule of the Philippines rather than independence.  For his efforts the Spanish executed him. This created more support for the Independence movement.  The reverse shows Emilio Aguinaldo declaring Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898.  Rather than gaining independence, the Philippines became a United States colony after the Spanish American War. It did not achieve full independence until 1946.  Both notes bear the facsimile signature of President Ferdinand Marcos, who was driven from office by the 1986 People Power Revolution.

ALSO SEE:
THE LAST JAPANESE INVASION NOTE FOR THE PHILIPPINES
WORLD WAR II PHILIPPINE GUERILLA CURRENCY
PHILIPPINE PEOPLE POWER COIN

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HELL BANK NOTES

Hell Bank notes are used in funeral ceremonies in many far-eastern countries to provide money and goods in the afterlife for the dead person.  The term "hell" just designates the place where the dead go, and does not carry the negative connotations that it does in the Christian world. A wide variety of notes have been produced, and make an interesting and inexpensive area to collect.  We assembled a collection of 10 different Hell Bank Notes from China and Vietnam. It includes both traditional style notes exchangeable for goods in the afterlife and modern,  multi-color currency style notes.  Included is Hell banknote that looks like a United States Hundred Dollar Bill!

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