Friday, April 27, 2012

Frank Goon collection book

A friend message me in Facebook just now, what happened to your tonight I want to cry post? I cannot see any of the proof banknote pictures that I saw in your post before. I reply to him, The Frank Goon collection book by SPINK is limited and rare, you're lucky enough to get a glimpse of what his collection are all about (exactly, you cannot share someone copyright item without a permission. Hahahaha...). Yes.., the 2nd case in the post is this book. It make me want to cry because his collection make me think,Is this possible? Do he really own all these stuff in here? Thank you to Sifu Dickson Niew for helping me to get a copy of this book. It is the most valuable book in my collection, not because of its price (SDG200) because I have other books more expensive then that but it is valuable because of the information and pictures in the book. Its make me drooling looking at all Frank Goon Collection, its like looking at the most sexy and beautiful girls from Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei in one big room.

Frank Goon Collection

Banknotes of British Malaya, The Frank Goon Collection has been launched on 30 March 2012 by Spink at Singapore Coin Fair 2012. The collection in his book has been assembled over a period of 20 years time. The book have 11 chapters, printed on a hard cover and have a 415 pages. Each picture come with at least some information that tell you about that particular banknote or collection. Some of the banknotes are in actual size, it will be stated, "shown actual size". From the book title, most of you will understand the book is all about Banknotes collection of Frank Goon, a prominent Malaysian businessman.

The Book Chapters:
  1. Private banks of the Straits Settlements
  2. Private Issues of Malaya & British Borneo
  3. The Government of the Straits Settlements
  4. Sarawak
  5. British North Borneo
  6. Malaya
  7. Malaya & British Borneo
  8. Bank Negara Tanah Melayu
  9. Malaysia
  10. Singapore
  11. Brunei

The quality of the book is superb, thanks to excellent printing by Gutenberg Press Ltd, Malta. Only 600 copies are printed for worldwide circulation.

In the book you can find superb collection of super extremely rare banknotes. Most of it is essay banknote (a potential design of a new banknote. Very often an essay has no serial numbers) and proof banknote. According to Wikipedia, Proof banknote is printed as a way of checking to see whether or not the design is suitable for putting into full production as a currency issue, as well as part of the process of testing various stages of the printing process of a banknote that has. Proof banknotes may be partial proofs of the obverse or reverse only ("uniface proofs"), or of only pieces of the design, such as the portrait.

Why is it super extremely rare banknotes? 
Have you seen a consecutive pair of green Malaya 1940 1 dollar banknotes? How about brown 1940 10 dollars Malaya banknotes? If you had seen the pictures of Bank Negara Tanah Melayu 1 ringgit (blue color) and 5 ringgit (green color) banknotes, shared by Malaysian friends in Facebook, that exactly is a 1962 Bank Negara Tanah Melayu essay banknote prepared by Thomas De La Rue for Bank Negara Tanah Melayu. Imagine if the banknote design are approved during that time, our Malaysia banknote history maybe start from 1962 not 1967. Most of his Malaysia banknote collections are specimen. He also show some trial color banknote for pink 1 ringgit 1st series banknote, brown 5 ringgit 1st series banknote and blue with purple potrait of sa-ribu ringgit banknote. If the trial banknote has been approved, we maybe will be using a pink color 1 ringgit in our pocket. Hahahaha.... His Malaysia collection banknotes also has proof Malaysia banknote of 1966 (RM1, RM5), 1968 (RM1000) 1976 (RM10, RM50) and 1979 (RM100). Some of it are uniface proof.

Are his collection of trial and proof Malaysia banknotes are the same as what we see in Bank Negara Sasana Kijang?
No, What you see in that museum is just a small collection, I think if you want to display this in that museum, all the other banknotes need to be thrown out and Bank Negara Malaysia need to add another floor to Sasana Kijang. Frank Goon has a very impressive collection of essay and proof banknote from Straits Settlements era until Malaysia era.

Do you know, how much is Frank Goon's collection of rare currency notes worth?
Some people say his collection worth at SGD20 million. I think that is what he pay to get all that banknotes but I think the value will be more if one day he want to auction his collection.

I really wish one day Frank Goon will open his own museum in Malaysia. I am one of his fan that will most probably visit the museum every week, just want to look at his beautiful collection of banknotes. 

PS: Sorry, I am not sharing any pictures of the books in here. You can try Google it.

Micro review:
Banknotes of British Malaya, The Frank Goon Collection Reviewed by lunaticg on Apr 27 . Super extremely rare banknotes. A must have book for all Malaysian banknote collector, Frank Goon collection are super extremely rare banknotes of Straits Settlements until Malaysia era. Rating: 5.0