Oceania Japanese Invasion Money 1/2 Shilling OA Prefix

***This rag is a 1/2 Shilling Japanese Invasion Money printed for use by the Japs for the Oceania region.

Though it is considered nothing more than a rag, but, nevertheless its prefix of OA makes it worthwhile putting aside for posterity as much of what we see comes with the now all-tiring prefix of OC, which only the numismatic catalogue gives some value but not many gives a hoot to this OC note.

Why in the heavens is it so damn hard to find this issue in OA or OB prefixes while OC seems to be so, so readily available like some kind of toilet paper?

By the way, I bought this note from one old "Chee Ko Pek" at the sleazy morning market located at a sleazy lane somewhere in Petaling Street.

I am sure you guys know which back lane I am talking about, as it is you guys who told me where it is located at in the first place. Thankyouverymuch.

Malaysia 1999 $2 Banknotes

*** Another fine example of the saying,"Today's The Crapper, Tomorrow's The World", in the form of this RM2 banknote issued way back in 1999.

Those were the days when you can get gunny sacks of this issue at RM3,000 per brick or even lower, if the seller is desperate enough. But tell me, how many sellers are desperate sellers today?

Today, if you don't have RM600 in your pocket, you will not be given the privilege to even sniff at a stack of these notes.

That's how much the price of Malaysian banknotes have gone up thru the years.

And you better believe what all the various local Pakar Numis are saying when they tell you,"You ain't seen nothin' yet."

Malaysia 1998 $2 Banknotes

***A very clear-cut case of 'today's the crapper, tomorrow's the world' for this RM2 banknote issued 13 years ago.

Just last year, a stack can be obtained for just RM300, as this series is a highly 'despised' series by collectors, but now, if you can't bring out at least RM550, don't even dream of taking a sniff at these notes.

That's how unpredictable the Malaysian numismatic scene has become whereby lots of banknotes from various series in Choice UNC condition have jumped multiple folds pricewise.

That's what is meant by 'Today's The Crapper, Tomorrow's The World", a phrase coined by none other than the newly anointed 'Pakar Numismatik Malaysia', His Venerable Datuk Raymond Chang.

Malaysia 2011 Repeating Serial Numbers 1212121

***An absolutely nothing to crow about banknote in the form of an RM10 note released this year, I suppose, & bearing the repeating Serial Numbers of 1212121.

Got this banknote from the ATM machine several nights back, otherwise, I wouldn't have paid a dollar more for it as as mentioned just a second ago, this is a freaking banknote that's not worth crowing about, no big deal with such serial numbers as there should be tons of them around.

As far as Serial Numbers are concerned, I am still as crazy as ever for banknotes bearing the Solid Numbers of 0000000.

Malaysia 1998 $50 Polymer Banknote Serial Number 499994

***A solid total of 500,000 pieces of this $50 Polymer banknote were issued 13 years ago and that means the banknote that bears the Serial NOs 500000 is the 500,000th note, ie., the last banknote of this series.
I wonder who is the proud owner of this 500,000th banknote. Surely, it's not yours truly & as such, don't look at me!
I am rather sure that this particular last banknote must be in some serious collector's safe hands.
As a consolation, I can only get hold of the 499,994th note, ie., the 6th last note of this series, a consolation prize you can say.
Actually, I came across this banknote just a few days by chance.
I was on business in Johor and was putting up for a night at the Silver Inn Hotel in Batu Pahat and right across this hotel at a car-park space every morning, there is actually a very bustling Morning Market whereby several Malay & Orang Asli chaps sell various numismatic stuff.
As this banknote was only going for RM150, I thought why not getting it as a souveniras the Batu Pahat folks have been very nice to me, esp, the staff at the Silver Inn Hotel's spa.
Only when I was back home that I realised that this is the 499,994th note of the series.
By the way, I also saw several other pieces of this $50 Polymer Series for sale at the same stall owned by this very affable Malay chap.
Some of them carrying rather fancy numbers like 000111, 000222, 000444, 000666, etc, etc, but I am really not into such notes. They were priced at RM200 each.

Malaysia 1981 $1 Low Serial Numbers 000002

***And this banknote issued around 30 years ago bear the low serial numbers of 000002 in perfect pristine condition, a note that is gloatable to some.
But, yet, really, there is nothing to crow about as this banknote represents all things second best. Folks tend to remember all things NO.1, not NO.2.
Who remembers all the losers in all the US Presidential elections? Likewise, who remembers all the silver medallists of those various Olympics' events?
And who can recall the names of all the 2nd placed 'winners' of the Formula One Grand Prix races?
As such, this banknote is, at best, second best or a very forgettable second best.

Malaya & British Borneo 1961 $10 Big A Buffalo Banknote

***Another piece of the ever-popular Buffalo banknote & this nice, crisp EF-like piece bears the Big A Prefix of A/97. Wish it was A/99 which would represent the Last Prefix of this series. But, somehow one moron said that the Last Prefix for this series is A/100. Somebody must be a real moron here. It must be him, not me.

This is a very piece of fresh, firm note, very EF-ish but to overgraders, which there is an abundance of them everywhere, both online & offline, this note could be AU-ish for them.

Lately, lots of the Small A varieties of this Buffalo Note series have surfaced online. Most were graded as VF by the various Vendors from many corners of the globe, but these Buffaloes just look too tired to even squeeze in into the Fine category. Simply put, they are just VG or worse still, lower. But of course the Vendors do not know how to grade notes as the only word found in their numismatic grading vocab seems to be VF.

Wonder not & ask me not where I got hold of this note as the story is just too long to be narrated here.

Malaysia 2011 $10 Solid Numbers 8888888

***But of course, the most desirable of all numbers for a banknote for those who only have prosperity in their minds will be those that bear the all-desirable Solid Numbers of 8888888, more or less like the one featured today.

The Chinese, I suppose, have this predilection for all things '8', whether they are living in Communist China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Malaysia or some far flung places like Mauritius or in London and Paris and God knows where else.

Because this is obviously the ticket to enternal richesse or the feel-good feeling that it brings & that's one solid reason why rich folks in Hong Kong will pay thru the skies for a car number plate bearing such numbers.

As for me, I would really prefer to have banknotes that bear the unique solid serial numbers of 0000000, instead of all these so-called 'prosperity' mumbo jumbo....

But, for the right price, the banknote featured here is for sale but ONLY at the right price & be prepared to pay thru your nose as there is always a special price tag for the pereceived 'ticket to prosperity."

Malaysia 1981 $1 Low Serial Numbers 000008

***To some or should I say, to many, a main criterion to banknotes collecting is that these notes should bear prosperous numbers.

To these folks, the note featured today should be desirable to you and to all the Oriental folks in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and wherever they may be as you sure would like the number '8' for this number will sure bring you & your entire family tree tons to prosperity, I suppose.

And I should suppose, with '8', whatever you touch will turn gold, whether it's psychological or real or should I say, surreal.

This banknote is already almost 30 years old, which, of course, means it's even older than my dog, but it's still in incredible pristine condition, should I say, in exceptional paper quality condition. No signs of unavoidable ageing, with glistening sheen & unchallenged crispness.

I am very cocksure that I will get a PMG UNC 68 grading if I were to send this banknote to PMG for their professional grading.

I wonder how the previous owner of this note (who has implored me to keep him anonymous as he doesn't need the limelight or the nuisance phone calls from enquirers) managed to maintain the status quo of this note conditionwise. It looks as if it justcame out of the bank yesterday.

It's definitely not chemically cleaned, as one would expect if one were to buy online from sellers from you know where, who by now should be imortalised in the world's book of records as the world champions of banknotes washing & pressing.

Ya, you can go ahead & name who these mother-fuckers are, but sorry, no prizes for guessing right.

But by all means, you can go ahead & exercise your immortal right to spit at these scums, I will not stand in your way & stop you for how can I stop you from exercising your birth given right to spit long & far at these scums?

Malaya $100 Japanese Invasion Money Error Smudged Image

***Collecting Japanese Invasion Money is definitely not my cup of tea as these hyperinflation banknotes that were abundantly issued by the Japs during the 1940s were practically worthless then.

I still remember how worthless they were as I can still remember how my grandmother burnt away 2 truckloads of these worthless pieces of paper in disgust.

As such, these JIM notes had never interested me esp when I noticed that some with Serial Numbers seem to command very high prices. So what if they have Serial Nos as they were hopelessly worthless during the 1940s all the same.

However, today as I was quite free as I am on my monthlong sabbatical leave, I paid a visit to the much talked about very sleazy dawn/morning flea market found at the backlane of Petaling St right in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur and I realised only today what an amazing potpourri of items and maybe rubbish to some, are being sold there.

I can bet the life of my tabby cat that even the blue pill called Viagra could be sold here, but whether it is the Real McCoy or not, I suppose you have pop one into your belly to find out.

One old man was selling some banknotes and coins at this backlane. He had lots of Straits Settlements and Malaya notes for sale.

Most looked original & certainly not chemically washed and later pressed or worst still, ironed as one would expect to receive if bought online, but I ignored these British Malaya notes as my pocket is just too shallow to get into such heavy stuff, no, at least not at my age when I am already needing a walking stick to move about.

And yes, I am also getting help from Viagra every now then.

However, I did buy a banknote from that old guy & it's a $100 JIM note but one whose's image on the Obverse had been smudged during the printing process. Also noticeable is its design having lightly shifted upwards.

Since it only costs RM5 for this note which was worth $100 during the 1940s, I bought it, as after all, what numismatic shit can I buy today for RM5?