Continental / Colonial currency

Is anyone here into the ol' school Continental / Colonial currency? I have four, but only pictures of three (and some of the pictures aren't great).

My favorite is the one I don't have a pciture of... 1776 $2/3 which is of the Fugio variety. I love the linked chains image with "We Are One" -really speaks to me.

Others are...

A set (if you'd call it that) of October 1, 1773 Pennsylvania notes, one 20 and the other 50 Shillings. These are in the best condition of the four.

Thery aren't terribly expensive, and if you've never seen them before, they have really nice mica specks and a cottony feel.

 

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Lastly, May 9 1776 $7 Philadelphia which I like due to "The Colonial Colonies" at the top. Like most of my small collection... it makes me happy.

 

Ohhh, and they seem authenitc to me, though I've never gotten them authenticated. If for some reason you know that they aren't, just don't tell me. Ignorance is sometimes bliss.



The top four look much more yellow in the scan than they actually are. They are very thick, and not the fake parchment paper variety that you can find plenty of on ebay.

 

Thanks GDJMSP! I'd classify it as an addiction more than an interest in collecting I've yet to go to a currency show, and if I ever went, I'd have to bring someone with strong arms that could hold me back.

I don't know the year or country of the first currency note, (though I've read up on the first coinage, heh).

 

40,000 cash?! I don't know what the trade value of a cash coin was in 118 BC, but I'm willing to guess that was fairly wealthy man who held that deer skin.

 

....... 40,000 cash, but you would have a hard time finding someone to honor the note.

 

DOH! I had guessed China, but removed it from the post as I really had no idea. "Yeah sure, prove it now!" you say. Ohhh well.

Just thinking of this currency prompted me to get another one today. I need help.

 

Errrr... I meant "The United Colonies" -but you probably already figured that out.

 

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Thanks for the scans! Those are really nice looking notes. And, if, as you say, they have mica specks, then that speaks for their authenticity. What speaks against that is your claim that these are not "expensive." I have been pricing these for a while for my own research and writing and I cannot easily afford a decent example and yours are outstanding. I am not near my books right now, but I'd guess $500 to $1000 and up for those, based on what I know I can get for $250.

So, unless you just lucked out majorly, or you came upon them in some non-numismatic way -- uncle-in-law; garage sale; blowing across a parking lot -- I would have to wonder how something so tremendous was so cheap.

Speaking of books, which edition of Newman do you own?

 

Thanks for sharing your collection. I've inherited a few "older" notes, but none near the age of yours. I like the "To counterfeit is D E A T H" on the shilling notes. No ambiguity there, no lawyer sized loop holes. Just point blank cause and effect. Can you imagine if we tried to bring that back to current day currency. As GDJMSP is fond of saying "Boy Howdy" would that cause an uproar

 

Yeah, the kids (I teach) really like that as well, as do I. I like even on the 1917 series notes (and others) that they list the consequences as well. Heck, $5,000 fine or 15 years doesn't seem too bad by today's standards. Death, on the other hand, seems less thrilling.

You know, I've seen prices all over the place for these. Some auction houses seem to price them really high, and other places that I've seen them are more reasonable.

I can't tell you if all of these are authentic...

http://coins.listings.ebay.com/Pape...QQfromZR11QQsacatZ3413QQsocmdZListingItemList

-nor can I honestly tell you for 100% sure that any of mine are. I don't know who could, but I will try to have them authenticated one day.

I will say that mica specs aside, the technology is at a point today where it wouldn't be impossible to recreate just about any document or bill that ever existed. I would also say that forgeries at the time (despite the threat of DEATH) were surely common.

If anyone is an expert, I'd be happy to do up some large scans for them to examine and give their opinion on.

I (bring on the boos) actually don't own any books, and piece things together little by little all over the web. I don't think anything I own is particularly rare in a collector's sense, I just collect what I like. In terms of much of my foriegn currency, that often boils down to bills with pretty pictures and colors. Probably a lame way to collect things, but I just do it for fun, no for resale.

Here's the note that I didn't have a scan of before (what I call a Fugio note, though there's probably a more technical term). I picked this up for $113. It has faint signatures, mica specs, and is soft as a cotton ball (I must resist touching it but it is really nice).

 

Here is a better (and more accurate color) scan of the front of the 1773 50 Shillings note above. I'm not an expert.

 

One of the maxims in collecting is: If you don't know your material, know your dealer.

I would rather pay more to a dealer I know who knows me than to pay less and thereby assume more risk.

I took a brief, but intense interest in these when I applied for a qualification as an ANA Exhibit Judge in Paper Money. (I did not get that, but I did get qualified for Literature.) So, I saw a lot of notes and talked to a few dealers. From your scans, yours look real enough. The last two are about dead-on for what I expect a note at that price to look like.

I do not often see things that I must have, but Colonial paper money is one of those few things. You have some wonderful examples.

(You can get them certified by several authorities, including Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, the official grading service of the ANA: http://www.ngccoin.com/)

 

That seems like a reasonable plan. I don't really know *any* dealers, so I guess I'm missing that part. I haven't bought notes from dealers online, nor from shows, etc. In fact I've never been to a show, though I'd have to be held back by chains if I ever did. Big chains.

Thanks, as I said in another (or this?) thread, it's most just a budding hobby and I don't want to get too serious as to ruin the enjoyment, or get too caught up in pricing and resale (for the same reason).

Eaby might be the absolute worst place to find notes, however I've been happy with what I've found and satisfied with the pricing for the most part. I lose plenty of auctions heh (bid $200 for a note that eventually sold for much more). I suppose knowing the pricing better would help me avoid wasting time with those.

Thanks for the NCG URL, I have to look if I have that bookmarked already or not. For now, it doesn't make sense to me to pay $10+ to have a $100-$200 note graded, especially when (for the most part) it's just me and 7 year olds who see it.

So out of curiosity, what do you think of this one, and how much would you have paid for it?

(Sadly, there's plenty missing from the left of the note, which looks rather nicely drawn - seen here http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCurrency/CurrencyText/MD-03-01-70b.html), but...

 

Boooo!

Let me tell you, the Newton book is very handy for these. Yes it's very specified and you may not use it often but it's one of the best investments you can make, and it costs less than most of the Colonial/Contentinal notes you'll find. If you want one and are unable to locate one, pm me and I'll hook you up.
Nick

 

Ahhhhh! The booos!

I'm sure I deserve a schloggin' for not using books, but I do have a reason. I'm afraid it will look (in my eyes) like a shop-at-home catalog, and while flipping through the book, I'll find many more notes that I'll want (a dangerous thing).

I had looked at a book that seemed to cover most of the small and large notes, but forgot which one it was. I can't even recall where the heck I saw it. It was being offered for $25-$35, but I think it listed for $45 most everywhere else. Geee, that narrows it down, I know.