Rare piece: Goh showing a Malaya and British Borneo $1 note featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II.
SIBU: John Goh’s phone has been ringing practically non-stop since the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept 8.
A long-time collector of rare coins and notes, Goh’s collection related to the queen is now sought after by currency collectors.
“I have been receiving calls from collectors throughout the country. They asked me where they could get the 20th century Malayan and British Borneo coins and banknotes bearing the image of the queen.
“Some numismatists want to know how much the pieces they own can fetch,” said Goh who is president of the Sarawak Philatelic and Numismatic Society.
He estimated that a $1 bill bearing the queen’s portrait could now fetch up to RM400, while buyers of the $100 note may need to fork out up to RM10,000 for it.
“The price is based on the condition of the coins and bills, and also the auction price.
“The auction price for the $100 note starts at RM2,000 and can easily sell for RM8,000. For a Grade 66 banknote that underwent the Paper Money Grading process, the price is around RM15,000,” said Goh, who is also one of the Royal Mint Malaysia dealers.
He said the price of bank notes featuring the queen would go up over the period of six months to a year.
“With King Charles III as the new monarch, bank notes and coins featuring the queen will gradually be replaced with those of the king. The price will go up,” he said.
However, Goh stressed that the prices of banknotes bearing the queen’s image could not yet be determined because those who have them were not eager to sell them.
“As we don’t know how many pieces there are, and as there are also not many sellers, the price will depend on the demand. If nobody wants to sell, the price will be much higher.”
At the same time, he said the 1981 stamps featuring the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana were also in demand now.
“People are looking for such stamps as Charles is now the British king. I can tell you they will fetch good prices,” he added.
