The banknotes from the 1905 Series of the Danish West Indies, produced by Bradbury Wilkinson, are highly sought after by collectors worldwide. They are known for their rarity, especially the higher denominations which are exceptionally scarce. According to our sources, only three issued and uncancelled 100 Franc notes are known to exist. The series includes denominations of 5, 10, 20, and 100 Francs. The 5 Franc note is the most commonly found, though finding high-quality examples of any denomination is extremely difficult. The banknotes feature vibrant colors and increase in size with higher denominations. Each note displays a portrait vignette of King Christian IX; on the 5 and 100 Franc notes, he is depicted on the left, while on the 10 and 20 Franc notes, he is in the center. A recurring motif of a palm tree in the foreground against a seascape is also present across the series. Over our history, we have auctioned all denominations, consistently finding them to be popular among collectors with proofs or specimens usually offering the best overall eye appeal and presentation per denomination give how poor most issued examples are.
The Danish West Indies, located in the Caribbean, became the United States Virgin Islands after Denmark sold them to the US in 1917 through the Treaty of the Danish West Indies. The 1905 Series notes were the last to be circulated under Danish administration. It appears that replacement notes were not introduced to replace worn ones, as most surviving examples today are in very low grades. There are various signature varieties throughout the series, although they are not well-documented in standard references. Specimen and proof notes exist for all denominations, typically serving as representations of the higher denominations in collections.
