I can't believe how many people are being exploited by these shenanigans. This 1963 $5 Legal Tender in at best Fine condition sold for $74.50 + shipping. http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-1963-5...LD-US-PAPER-CURRENCY-NOTE-MONEY-/251160230152 The note is worth no more than $10 at best. Yet someone doctors these notes to make them appear to be from rare series, which we know doesn't exist. My question is, how do they do it? Do they use some kind of solvent that alters the red inks?
I'm not sure what chemical was used, but it looks as though most of the bidding was between bidders with little to no experience. It's not the first I've seen, and surely not the last.......what a shame.
Not only did the bidders have little to no experience, there was one with ZERO feedback who bid 25 times and 100% of his activity is with this seller. Could very well be some shilling involved with this auction as well.
If you believed it was altered, you could report it to Ebay as a fake. Problem I see, since Ebay are not experts, would be how do you prove this was not a mint error? I know, you know, that the BEP would not do this, but how do you prove it to non-experts? It appears to be a genuine note, just the red changed to gold somehow.
I realize it is circulated, but the folds/wrinkles seem uncommon, more similar to what I get if a bill goes through the washer. I do not know what the ingredients in the treasury's ink were suspected to be , almost 50 years ago. Jim
It's a sad situation. Unfortunately, these sellers will exist as long as "collectors" don't do their homework and buy on impulse. The moral here is...do your research and understand what you are buying before you put out any money. I think the saying: "a fool and his money are soon parted" fits this situation well.
And if the red doesn't fully turn "gold", its OK, there are buyers for the illusive orange seal: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1963-2-ORAN...254?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3ccb55e6ce
