Watch List notes:

SOUTH AFRICA. Boer War - Siege of Mafeking. 1 Pound, 1900. P-S655b. Choice Uncirculated 64.
Watermark of Charter Vellum (only found on the "b" variety whereas the "a" variety has a watermark of Garter Arms). Serial number 124. This series of notes was issued by Colonel Robert S. S. Baden-Powell during the Siege of Mafeking during the Second Boer War. This 1 Pound note is the more difficult to locate "b" variety, with PMG having graded just two examples of it at the time of cataloging. This note sits atop PMG's pop report for the variety, and offers exquisite detail any collector would be proud to showcase in their collection. The embossed stamp offers punch through detail, and blue tinted paper remains bold and helps to accentuate the penned details of the signatures and serial numbers. The note displays a Union Jack flying above a howitzer nicknamed "wolf" with Baden-Powell standing next to the gun emplacement, with a armed man at left, a woman at right and a sharpshooter at far right defending the siege line.

The Siege of Mafeking began on October 13th, 1899 and lasted for an astounding 217 days. Colonel Robert Baden-Powell led the defense of the besieged town against the Boers, resisting urges to abandon the town or to launch a break-out. The defenders consisted mainly of Rhodesian troops. Measures turned desperate inside the town for the soldiers and civilians, with reports of mounted soldiers having to eat their own horses recorded. The siege was finally lifted on the 17th of May, 1900, when nearly 2,000 British soldiers under the Command of Colonel B. T. Mahon defeated the Boer garrison besieging the town. Robert Baden-Powell was regarded as a national hero in England after the war, and is often best remembered today for his guidance in starting the Boy & Girl Scouting movements.

Estimate: $2500 - $3500