Hi folks. I am new to paper money and probably won't get into it, but I have this $2 bill from 1917 my grandfather gave me. He is not a collector by any means...as you can probably tell by the condition. This is probably something he took from circulation and held onto for more than half a century. Although I have no plans on selling it, knowing the value and grade of this bill would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Simon
Hard to tell, but guessing I'd say between fine and very fine. The lower margin has issues. I wouldn't worry much about the value since it's a gift from your grandfather. The value comes from it being a keepsake. Slap it in a decent currency sleeve and enjoy it.
Thanks for the info, guys. Wow, $75-100? That's a lot more than I expected! I'll find a sleeve this week and put it in.
I prefer to only find my doubled dies in circulation. It takes the fun out of having them if you have to buy die varieties you could potentially get for 1 cent from your local bank. Needless to say, I don't reslly care how much this $2 bill is worth. I'm keeping it. :smile
I had no idea that it was worth that much, I was thinking more like $15-20. Wow! And no, Chief, I am not going to sell it. I am going to keep it and hand it down to whatever children I may have in the future. :smile
Nice note I myself would put it in a book with a stack of others on it far a little while may flatten out some of its folds. Not worth grading but still a nice old note to add to your collection. I had one of these note at one time always like the design but it was no where near as nice as yours is....
Do not attempt to flatten the note. If done improperly you will actually damage the paper in the creases further. You might also hurt it's value by removing any embossing or originality to the paper that may remain.
Hmm, flattening the note sounds suspiciously similar to a paper money equivalent of cleaning coins. I think I'll pass on the flattening and just buy a nice sleeve to put it in. Thank you everyone for your comments!
You got it right. Flattening is very similar to cleaning a coin, in terms of improving appearance. Flattening a note may make some folds less evident, but it can cause the fibers in the creases to become brittle and damaged, and the paper will become flimsy. Although it's possible to clean paper money like a coin, using chemicals that I will not mention, it's unlikely to turn out well for anyone other than a professional.
