I figure any relatively serious paper money collector just plain HATES these "pens". Put that big mark on a larger denomination note to make sure it's real. So how long does that mark last? Will it affect grading? Well, I'm not so sure it will in the long run. Three months ago we sent a bunch of stuff to PCGS as they were running a special. I included three of my own notes as the price was right. We FINALLY got notification that our notes were headed back to us. Of the three notes I sent in one was a nice $50 error note. I figured why not - it's an obvious error so why not get a grade on it. I originally procured this note (sorry no pics) several years ago at face value at a nearby gas station. Cashier showed it to me and asked "can you believe it's real?" I did of course and gave her $50 for it. Naturally she had used "the pen" on it to verify it was real. A nice crisp error note with an annoying brown streak from that infernal pen! As time went by that mark faded - to the point where you coulnd't see it. Well, I now know what it was graded. MS64PPQ! So here's a note I bought from a cashier that had been handled AT LEAST buy a bank, an "inbetween" party and a cashier. Then it was hit with the pen and now merits a 64 grade. I'll post pics when I can folks. My computer is down and that's the one the scanner runs off. Bottom line is that apparently those pens fade to nothing after time. At least in this case. clembo
Neat story. I just bought one of those pens to use at the local flea market I sell at. I have often wondered how many people in the future would wish that I had never had the note because of the mark. I try to just make a small mark on one of the corners but maybe it does not even matter. Naturally I look at the notes closely for errors, radars, repeaters or any other neat numbers before I mark them.
Ouch!!!!!!! I usually pay in cash after visiting the ATM, I'm temped to buy a "pen" and swipe my change from the cashier before I leave the checkout counter.
hello.. my name is DaggarJon... i have been an addict for 'x' many years. Yes, i am still fighting recovery. In my past, during a darker period of my life before my addiciton set in... i too.. yes, i too used those pens I knew the pens faded over time, but never marked a note, and set it aside to see how long it took lol clembo .. is the mark still visible at all? how many years have passed since you procured the note? oh and btw - nice grade, congrats!!!
Nice story. I too hate those pens, I have a couple older notes that they have been used on and you can still see the mark. This is not the first time I have heard of it fading so I hope it will on mine too. Those pens bug me, especially because people think they are 100% accurate. One of the popular ways to counterfeit these days is to bleach a small denomination note and reprint it as a higher denomination. Those pens react to structures found in wood paper but not in cotton paper...so bleached and reprinted notes won't be affected by them. :rolling:
Not in the least but it makes me wonder how close they look and under what kind of light(s). Been at least 8 years since I got that note BTW. Don't quote me on this but I believe on the older notes it will NOT fade away. Different paper composition. Can anyone help us on this one?
Clembo...you did what!! Sent a note in for Grading????? I am beaming ear to ear for you..... Nice Grade and a big :thumb: for you....now that did'nt hurt one bit did it?? RickieB
I see w might make a Paper sider of him yet LOL Congrats Mate :thumb: By the way be aware that British £20 notes are now been forged a lot Have a read here to see how to tell the real one from a fake http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/security/index.htm
The pens are useless and easily defeated. If someone needs to check notes on the fly, get a UV Penlight (they run about $60 to $70 shipped and are the size of a pen). The color on the security threads has a unique color under a UV light that is rarely duplicated in counterfeits because bank equipment doesn't check for it. I have a 1950 $20 bill that I got awhile back that was just abused by the pen. Today, the mark is almost completely gone. I imagine the determing factor the penmark to disappear completely is whether there was any foreign matter on the note for the pen to react with and turn black.
