Is ironing low-value paper money acceptable for appearance?

I've got several 'wads' of foreign paper money, some of it early 20th C., but none of it appears to be of any significance in terms of value.

Is there a protocol against ironing (and, in some cases, spray-starching!) the most battered & wrinkled of these?

My purpose is simply to make 'em a bit easier to handle and sort; many are literally 'limp as a rag'.

In the likelihood that some of you are deeply offended by this heretic suggestion: my sincere apologies.

 

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I haven't used spray starch since I got out of the USAF in 1968. But you've given me an idea, and maybe, just maybe, I'll set up the old ironing board one more time..

 

LOL......spray starch was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the title of this thread. I'd be interested to hear what you 'paper' guys think as well.......

 

It's the same as any collectible. You own it, you do whatever you want with it, but if you sell it, you'd better tell the buyer what you've done to it.

Dave

 

Don't know if it's still going on, but many years ago (when $100 was still a lot of money) they used to use a steam iron on the C-notes for the Baccarat tables in Vegas.

 

I would not "iron any paper", but you can press them in a book, with heavy weights on the book. This will not make a iron flat finished on the notes. All modern notes are intaglio printed notes. This method, gives the note depth to the surface of the paper. Place the note, between acid free paper. Most new book pages are made with acid paper. This would not be good for the note. Now, if you have an very old book (before 1900), then it may not have this type of paper. Good luck.

 

Don`t iron any Polymer notes, they shrivel up like a slug in salt
I left some Aussie $5 in my jeans and they got laundered, which is fine apparently, until they got ironed.

 

Good Sir: First, to some of us, $100 still IS a lot of money! Then second, maybe you're old enough that your memory includes a time in relatively ancient history...and you were a player at that Baccarat table! Oh, my!

Come to think of it: no one comes to possess your reservoir of wisdom without some play...or a good sum of years.

 

Roger that...I don't anticipate any of this stuff could be sold, though, except maybe as kindlin'.

 

Do not ever iron currency. It will not do any good for the creases or folds. All it will do is make the paper flimsy and weak.

If you wish to frame the currency, my recommendation is to steam the notes over a kettle. Then place the note between two sheets of white paper. Put the paper inside of a large book. Place that book on a flat surface. Then stack as many books on it as you can.

The white paper will prevent the ink from the book's pages from smearing onto the note.

Leave it there for 48 hours and then remove it.

It will make the creases less pronounced, but it will void it of any embossing. If you sent it in for grading, you will automatically forfeit a PPQ/EPQ/OPQ grade, which represents original paper quality and embossing. It may even earn it a Apparent/Net grade, which will hurt the value even more.

The steam allows the fibers to stretch and relax. When placed under weight, the fibers dry and firm up in the position they are.

I have done this with a few notes in order to frame them. It does improve the appearance of otherwise crisp notes that have a few folds or bends. It will do nothing for a worn note or a note that has already seen moisture and subsequently damaged or crumpled (like in a washing machine).

This is still considered doctoring of the note to improve its appearance. As long as you don't use this method to fool buyers into thinking its a higher grade, then it's fine with me. Check out these notes: http://www.cointalk.com/t215040/

 

No need to apologize at all...they are your notes and if you want to do that by all means do so.
By todays grading standards and understanding of "altered notes" ironing is easily identified by its efficency at removing embossing of features of the note.
Since you are of the opinion that their value is insignificant, the choice should be yours.

You can find general info on this form of "Doctoring" on most any Professional Grading Service Site such as PCGS. PMG and others.

Just my view point...based on what you said.

On the other hand, if the notes were of Numismatic potential, then this form of altering would not be acceptable and would be duly noted on any TPG Holder upon observation.

 

There is no protocol. Some are OK with it, some are OK with it as long as others do it to their own notes, some are against it.

I`ve "restored" a note or two quite some time ago, reported about it in here... I think it was an old German note. Results were excellent. It was some cleaning, then a bit of ironing.

 

What did you use to clean it?

I have uesd a Hearlihy & Co. Dry Cleaning Pad - No. 1238.

It got rid of surface stains quite well. It doesn't do much for liquid stains or rust that are embedded into the fibers.

 

Never mind notes -- you iron jeans? :scratch:

 

:hail:Hail a fellow Airman! Thank you!:hail:

Wish I had something more to contribute but we don't use starch any more (if you are using, I'll get you!) They were using spray starch as late as '05.

 

Weak solution of warm water and bleach. Ratio is 90/10 or 80/20.

 

Whats'a matter wit' ironing jeans? I don't do it anymore, of course...but in high school, Mom couldn't do a good enough job on my shirts or jeans, so I took over the task. She was tickled, and I got pretty good at it. That was a few years ago, admittedly.

 

I have another (untested) suggestion: sodium percarbonate (the active ingredient in OxiClean) creates hydrogen peroxide in water. Also a very weak solution, and allow it to soak for 24-36 hours.

I'll find a grubby US buck, shoot a before pic, do the soak, rinse & iron, take another pic...and report all here.

I can almost hear the anticipation!

 

During the 70s I was dating a bank teller at a big downtown bank. i asked her to save all the silver certificates for me which she did. After I had accumulated several bills I'd put them in khaki pants pockets then wash the pants. After the wash I'd hang them on a clothes line then when dry I'd iron them. Most of them l still look great.

 

"After I had accumulated several bills I'd put them in khaki pants pockets then wash the pants."

GOOD!

Or try one of those small mesh bags that women use to launder their panties in.

Gentle cycle best, probably. Thank you!
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