I don’t exactly know what got into me lately, but I have been seeking out any bargains on banknotes from Mali. For a long time I was looking for banknotes from the first issue, but as part of my search on eBay, I found a high denomination note from the second series. I definitely wasn’t expecting to win this note for $29.56, which I did, considering the fact that the 100 Franc banknotes from both the first and second series (this one is from the second series) were selling for $25+ in similar condition. Anyhow, I put in my bid and actually won this one. This 1000 Franc note is somewhat scarce, and was a great buy for under $30. If you can find a similar deal, take it! The demand for first and second issue paper money from Mali has gone up tons lately.

Mali Pick 9: 1000 Francs from 1967

I absolutely love the 1960 series of banknotes from Mali, so I keep my eyes on such auctions on eBay. This time, however, it was a 1970′s banknote that I picked up. I have purchased the 1000 Franc banknote bearing signature 5 (according to the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money). I won the auction and paid $11.05 for the banknote. I love the mountain village featured on the back of this note.

Mali p13b from 1970: 1000 Francs

Though the front of this banknotes states ‘Banque Centrale du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi’ it is neither from the Belgian Congo, nor from Rwanda-Burundi. This is p2a from the Congo Democratic Republic, which is a 1000 Franc banknote from 1962 (took me a while to find this one in the catalog). Though the front side of the banknote is appealing, I love the back of the banknote which features a waterbuck drinking from a stream. There is a 5000 Franc banknote from the same issue, but it is ridiculously rare on eBay. This issue can be found on a regular basis, and often sells for above its catalog value, especially of late. I feel extremely lucky to have purchased this one for $50.

Congo Democratic Republic p2a: 1000 Francs from 1962