On March 9, 2008, International Auction Galleries auctioned an extremely rare 1913 10 Shilling note. The note was purchased for $1,909,000 and is now the most expensive Australian numismatic item in the world.

The 1913 10 Shilling banknote managed to outrun the former record price by $685,750. It is worth mentioning that this commonwealth note issued in Australia was the most important sale in the history of major Australian auction houses. The note will definitely maintain the name of IAG in record books for a long time.

The First Australian Commonwealth Banknote

This 1913 10 Shilling banknote is regularly described as the "Holy rail" of Australian numismatics. It represents the first Australian commonwealth note ever printed. In addition, it is the world's first official banknote with 10 Shilling denomination. This is why it should be considered historically important. It is also worth mentioning that because the 10 Shilling note is the first out of billions of Australian currency notes that have been issued, the fact that adds numismatic importance to it.

A real collector always considers a numismatic item as the most important if the item was the first. This particular banknote has the "number one" serial number that demonstrates its historical importance.

A lot of countries never printed their first issued banknote, because they have usually been preserved in museums or official archives. This is why the 10 Shilling note can surely hold the title of one of the most significant numismatic and historical items in the world.