Bank of Taiwan Holds Auction for Special Serial Number Banknotes; Highest Bid Reaches NT$111,100

Central News Agency, Taipei, May 28. The Bank of Taiwan, commissioned by the Central Bank, held a public auction for New Taiwan Dollar banknotes with special serial numbers and announced the winning bidders for the 1150501 series this week. Among them, a set consisting of one 500-yuan note (serial prefix AN-ZC) and one 1000-yuan note (serial prefix RX-AL), with a total face value of NT$42,000, had a starting price of NT$84,000 and was finally sold for NT$111,100, marking the highest price for this period. New Taiwan Dollar banknotes consist of two English letters at the beginning and end, and six digits in the middle. Certain special numbers, such as 000001, 000008, 123456, and 888888, are particularly popular among collectors. Since September 2012, the Bank of Taiwan has been commissioned by the Central Bank to conduct auctions for special serial number banknotes through online bidding, covering three denominations: 100, 500, and 1000 yuan, held twice a year. The Bank of Taiwan explained that the 1150501 series included a total of 153 sets, marking the 28th time the online bidding method has been used. The opening of bids was supervised by Central Bank personnel on the morning of May 26. According to the Bank of Taiwan's announcement, the highest winning bid for this period was NT$111,100, and the set included special numbers such as 'AN000001ZC', 'AN000008ZC', and 'AN000088ZC'. The second highest was a set of 500-yuan (prefix BK-YC) and 1000-yuan (prefix QU-AL) notes, which sold for NT$105,100. Looking back at past auctions, the highest winning multiple for a single note was the '888888' 100-yuan note in the second series, which sold for NT$15,360, equivalent to 153.6 times its face value. The highest multiple for a series set occurred in the third series, where a set of nine 100-yuan notes sold for NT$59,990, 66.66 times its face value. When the Central Bank first auctioned special serial number banknotes, it released 74 sets of 'uncut three-note commemorative editions' (three 100-yuan notes from the centenary of the Republic of China). Due to their uniqueness and commemorative value, the set numbered 'QU888888AL' was sold for a record-breaking NT$688,888, which remains the highest single-item price in history.