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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;see323, post: 371552, member: 8291&quot;]I personally do not keep Specimen notes. I do have them at one time which I have 3 sets of Singapore Orchid and Bird Series Specimen. I have sold them away a few years ago after keeping for more than 20 years. I am a world solid number collector.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I will attempt to answer some of your question based on what I have seen so far in my years of keeping banknotes. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>There are many different types of specimen notes printed for different purpose. Within a certain country, there are many types. It can come in different numbering system. The early European specimen come with ladder serial number. There are specimen notes which are specially printed for distribution to various countries in the world. The purpose is to give these countries a reference on the identification. These usually are printed in running numbers. It could also be A000000 but using do not have any specific solid numbers such as 555555 etc. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>There is another type is printer&#039;s specimen. These examples are usually kept by printer themselves for references. For Thomas De La Rue, they usually have a red oval chop over the specimen notes. These are usually more valuable and higher in demand collected by collectors. Sometimes specimen notes can be a trial colour print. I have seen a printer specimen as in a set of Straits Settlements notes. They are thus beautiful and expensive and may exist as a single or a few samples. They are usually well-kept by printers but may later be brought out by the latter children to sell them away as rare collectors&#039; items. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The problem with specimen notes is there is no accountability ( except for printer&#039;s specmen ). It is not like the regular circulated banknotes where we are able to identify and account for the serial number runs. For example, there are only 3 known super solid number banknotes in a series for a Singapore $5 Ship Series banknote. The prefixes are A/5, A/55 and B/5. In this way, we are able to keep track of the number of these solid number. If a B/55 appears, it is possible that it is a counterfeit as there are no such run of prefix. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Specimen lack the accountability unless they are specially issued by the country currency issuing board or central bank for collector purpose. I have seen a lot of Cuba specimen notes for sales in ebay. The value of these notes are pretty worthless. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Hope this view helps you to understand specimen notes better now.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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