Collectors Jerry and Diane Fishman have chosen Paper Money Guaranty (PMG) to authenticate and grade their rare Palestinian Currency Board banknotes.
Among the highlights of the Fishman Collection is a 50-pound note issued by the Palestine Currency Board in 1927, which was the first year the board issued paper money. Believed to be unique, this note was graded Very Fine-30 by PMG, which uses a 70-point numerical scale derived from the internationally recognized Sheldon grading scale. For more information about PMG’s paper money grading scale, click here.
PMG determined the grade of the note to be Very Fine-30.
Other highlights of the Fishman Collection include several trial banknotes with various unissued vignettes. A majority of the banknotes are the plate notes pictured in Raphael Dabbah’s 2005 book, Currency Notes of the Palestine Currency Board, which is widely considered to be the top reference book on Palestine mandate paper money.
“Jerry and Diane have built a phenomenal collection of specimens, colour trials and proofs,” said PMG Chairman Mark Salzberg. “We are honoured to have had the opportunity to grade and encapsulate this collection.”
PALESTINE CURRENCY BOARD
The Palestine Currency Board printed seven series from 1927-45 (six denominations in 1927 and 1929; three denominations in April 1939 and another two denominations in September 1939; another denominations in 1942; three denominations in 1944; and one final denomination in 1945). All notes were printed by Thomas De La Rue & Co., London. Despite being printed in England, each note has “Jerusalem” engraved on it alongside vignettes of famous Jerusalem landmarks such as Rachel’s tomb, Dome of the Rock, Crusader’s Tower at Ramleh, and The Tower of David.
The Fishman Collection was submitted to PMG at the Whitman Winter Expo by Los Angeles-based dealer Phil Doudar, who represented the couple.
“There was never a doubt that we would turn to the experts at PMG to authenticate and grade this prestigious collection,” said Doudar. “My clients and I could not be more pleased with the results.”