Thursday, August 17, 2017

2017 Sarawak banknote: Fantasy or real?

A Malaysian online news recently reported about new 50 Dollar Sarawak banknote with a portrait of Tun Pehin Sri Haji Abdul Taib bin Mahmud, the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak auctioned in eBay by International eBay seller Yuri Minkin.

Sarawak bankote

In the report, someone from Sarawak government mention that it is an offence to prints a banknote with a portrait of a Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak and state coat. 200 people have purchased the banknote so far and the government will investigate this matter.

The latest banknote is a 100 dollar with calm or angry crocodile variety on the banknote reverse. In the future, the will make a design of a 500 dollar with Hornbill on it.

Our search find out that the 2017 Sarawak banknotes sold by Yuri Minkin and the banknote is the work of French graphic artist, Franck Medina. Mr. Medina of Kamberra banknotes is famous for his fantasy banknotes.

One of his famous creation is the Equatorial Territories (2014), the private exclusive series of polymer banknotes that are taking collector's world by storm. This stunning series of polymer banknotes dedicated to geographies located within the Equatorial Belt. This series of banknotes celebrates native cultures and local animals populating the chosen geographies.

One of the note for the Bank of the Equatorial Territories is a 20 Equatorial Francs for Borneo.

Equatorial Francs

Yuri Minkin is a renown banknote collector, a members of International Bank Note Society (IBNS) and one of the largest suppliers of World Paper Money in the world. Searching at yuri Ebay store, (http://stores.ebay.com/yuri111) we found the 2017 Sarawak 100 dollar banknote with different variety of the banknotes.

Sarawak 100 dollars

The banknote have some security features like pattern watermarked paper, microprint, individual serial numbers and UV seal in the front. Only 800 pcs of the banknotes printed and the banknote printed by Gabris banknote. Each banknote have a different variety; Calm and Angry Tiger, Calm and Angry Crocodile.

For collectors, these are all just fantasy banknotes and we know it is not legal tender. Some collectors collect it because of the design and people who design the banknote. Franck Medina fantasy coins and banknotes have been around for over 25 years. I am sure many collectors collect Franck Medina fantasy banknotes but I am not sure why Mr. Medina select Sarawak as one of his subject.

Is it because of the report about Sabah and Sarawak want to separate from Malaysia by other online news few years back?