Hello, I was wondering if someone can help point me in the right direction in learning about paper and grading. I'm interested in military payment certificates and as I've been browsing I've seen some other notes that are pretty cool. I don't want to just jump in and buy whatever looks cool without doing my homework, this was a lesson learned from coins. So I'm hoping to get a little advice on starting out in paper as far as useful references and grading guides or whatever else you've found helpful. Thanks in advance!
The internet is your friend, you can find several online sites that suggest the value. Go to your nearest coin shop or book store and discuss with the coin shop owner Don't buy anything blind until you have done your research. Good luck and welcome to the madness.
Besides MPC what other note have you seen that you are interested in? There are specialized references for most areas of paper money. If you tell us what you are interested in we can direct you to the appropriate references.
I too am new to paper. I've been slowly trying to build a $1 note type set of sorts. I've learned a lot in doing it that way. By opinion is to start slow, ask questions and build a collection on something that you like. MPC are cool, they're not for me, or at least not yet.
MPC are one of those areas where quite a few of the notes are readily available, and there are some amazing rarities like the Series 651 fractional notes, the Series 591 $5, the Series 661 $10 etc. Curiously the rest of the Series 661 notes are very common, the $1 and $5 are readily available in uncirculated grades. Some of them like the Series 691 and Series 701 were never issued, and most examples were alleged to have been destroyed - but a few of each were released to collectors back about 15-20 years ago. The Series 701 would appear to me to be a bit more common than a few years ago and prices are accordingly coming down. One of my favourites: Known to collectors as "The Marilyn" for obvious reasons.
The neat part of the MPC's is that the vignettes were proprietary to the BEP and they used vignettes that had been used previously: The vignette on the front of the note was previously used on the Series 1902 Nationals: Then the vignette of Ceres was previously used on the Series 521 $10: MPC's are near and dear to me, they were the first notes in my collection - my dad missed a C-Day in Vietnam and came home with what was then a wad of worthless money. We played with it as play money when we were kids. Glad I still have it.
Had will be the operative word, there will be some kept, but most are going to hit several auction venues this year. Changing interests. As usual.
The New Brunswick Note you purchased from my Auction..I would sure like to think that you would PM me on that one before it lands at HA.
It is one not going. Only the high dollar stuff that I don't have a lot of interests in. For the others to see, but me to keepers: I am still pursuing post-bellum obsoletes. Have some very rare tax evasion issues from National banks also.
Cool notes SM! I like seeing them...and I pulled the trigger on one last night so it's my first note too.
