Why is this note considered a mule note - is it because of the serial number? How exactly is a mule note defined? http://cgi.ebay.com/TT-1922-50-GOLD...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item20ade06ac3
On today FW notes all are mule notes. Numbers (Front to Back plate numbers). The new $20.00 printed in Washington 2006 series has a obv mule new series. The upper right number is larger than the lower left number. I have found three so far. -O)
No, no, no! The idea of a "mule" is that the two plates are from opposite sides of a transition. There was a change made to the plates (for the large-size mules, the plate number location; for the small-size mules in the '30s, the plate number font size), and a "mule" is a note that was printed with a face plate from before the change but a back plate from after the change, or vice versa. After a while, all the old plates finally wear out, so mules stop being printed--they're a transitional variety. Today's Fort Worth notes do indeed have plate numbers of different sizes, but that's just because the enlarged back plate number is used to distinguish Fort Worth plates from Washington plates. Likewise, some 2006 $20's have an enlarged face plate number to show that they were printed on the new SOI presses. Neither of these represents any sort of transitional variety, so they aren't mules--in particular, the word "mule" does *not* mean "note with different-size plate numbers" (cf. the large-size mules where the plate number size was unchanged throughout). Some collectors will apply the term "mule" to modern FRNs printed with face plates from a new series and high-plate-number back plates left over from the old series. These were reasonably common in the 1981 $1's, for example, which were the first series in decades to have their back plate numbers reset to #1. So a 1981 $1 with a four-digit back plate left over from Series 1977A can be considered a mule, as can a 1977A $1 from late in that series with a low-number back plate intended for the 1981 printings. At the time, the BEP mixed the plates willy-nilly, so these mules weren't too scarce. More recently, there's rarely any mixing of plates at series transitions, so mules of this type generally don't exist any more; but for a few series there in the '80s and '90s they could be found. Other collectors of modern FRNs will try to apply the term "mule" to any note printed from a back plate that was also used on another series. For example, when the $1 silver certificates were replaced by the $1 FRNs in 1963, there was no change to the back designs, so the BEP just kept on using the same supply of back plates. Thus it's not too hard to find a 1957B $1 silver and a 1963 $1 FRN printed from the same back plate. Calling such notes "mules" is an incorrect use of the term, since again there's no transitional variety involved: the back plates didn't change in any way. Nevertheless, you can find the term used this way in some books, so be aware of what's meant by it....
Then what will we or they call this change in plate numeral size on the OBV?-O) MULE OBV sounds good to me.
Hello I'm not sure if anyone could help me. I bought a collection with some silver certificates in them. I bought them 5 years ago and the collector passed away 20 years ago. 3 of them were labeled mules. All are 1935a one a V-A he priced 70.00 30 years ago, Second T-A 60.00 the third a EB he labeled rare unknown. I do not know a mule from a horse if anyone could help me I would appreciate it.
Welcome to Coin Talk What?? In order to help, we would need to know Type, Denomination, Series (year), Serial number including prefix and suffix letters, front plate number, and back plate number. I would ask for scans but sometimes we are unable to read the small plate numbers.
Thanks Steveln for responding, Types all are silver certificates, Denomination all are 1.00, Series all are 1935 A. The first bill's serial number with prefix and suffix is T71639727A front plate is C634 back is a very small 862 in VG-fine condition. The second is V42187964A front plate B892 back very small 809 in VG. Third is E09855713B Front E1775 back 900 He states is unknownin VG-Fine. There might be more. I put these in the back of the safe because my knowledge is zero. Again if there's help out there I would appreciate it. Dan
Series 1935A $1 Silver Certificates with micro back plate numbers #2 and 436 through 929 are series 1935A face plates with series 1935 back plates, (Mules). Your T-A and V-A are mules, but not worth a lot over face in the condition you describe. The E-B may have considerably more value than the first two, but I would have to investigate further. Series 1935A $1 SC's Non-Mules have back plates #930 or higher. Hope this helps Dan.
