A featured highlight from
the Eldorado Collection of Colombian Paper Money, which crosses the auction
block January 11 in our official auction of the New York International
Numismatic Convention, is an official American Bank Note Company archival
record book for 1923-1979 Issues.
Lot 10564 is a unique
archival record book, formerly part of the American Bank Note Company Archives,
cataloged for only the second time in nearly a century. Last sold as
“SAMPLE BOOK No. 8” in Lot 87 of the 1990 ABN Sale at Christie’s; it
has remained intact since.
The exterior volume is an
oblong folio, brown leather binder 30.0cm by 25.0cm by 7.0cm deep, with the
pages leather strapped in the binding with a locking mechanism (Kalamazoo
Loose-leaf Binder Co.).
Mounted upon the pages
are uniface proofs or bond paper specimens from 1923-1979 for most series, but
not fully complete by SCWPM catalog types. Four typewritten pages at the
frontis have the order authorizations for most issues and denominations until
1964.
Most proofs fall into the 1940s and 1950s period. Arranged by denomination and
date from a 1923 1 Peso to a 1979 1000 Pesos. Several are rare types or dates
that were not represented in the 1990-1991 ABN sales.
There are 75 pages with notes, the majority with face and back proofs. Mixed
condition, these proofs are not especially vibrant compared to the proofs
printed in the 1870s and 1880s using “hands on” proofing techniques
as opposed to the machine-made production of the 20th century. Several have
glue toning through the paper.
It commences with the 1923 issue gold notes includes 1938 commemorative issue
face and back page and finishes with the 1979 1000 Pesos. Illustrates the
progression of dates and signature transitions by dates from several series.
A unique record of Colombia’s notes from the 20th century and one of the few
record books from Christie’s 1990 ABN Sale sold intact. This realized $8,250 in
December 1990. The whole is worth more than the sum of the parts.
For more information
please call us at 800-458-4646 or email us at info@stacksbowers.com
