LONDON: Two 10-rupee banknotes recovered from the wreck of the SS Shirala, which was sunk by a German U-boat on July 2, 1918, will be offered at the auction house Noonans in Mayfair next week as part of its sale of world banknotes.
Lots 474 and 475 are each estimated to fetch £2,000-2,600 (Rs 2.1 lakh to Rs 2.7 lakh) at the sale on May 29. Both are described as unsigned, on superb quality original paper, and very rare.
Thomasina Smith, worldwide head of numismatics at Noonans, said: “Whole blocks of these notes, along with lots of provisions ranging from marmalade to ammunition, were on their way to Bombay from London when the boat was sunk.Many notes floated to shore, including unsigned five and 10 rupees notes, and a signed one rupee one (which also features in this auction). Most were recovered and subsequently destroyed by the authorities and new ones were printed to replace them. However, a very few examples remained in private hands. These are in very good condition — they must have been in the middle of a tightly bound bundle, so didn’t make contact with the sea. It’s also wonderful that they bear consecutive serial numbers.”
