Ok, so this is kinda 2 questions about the same bill. I pulled a $10 note out of my pocket and was about to surrender it to my wife, when I glanced at the serial number. I do this because I have heard people who collect paper money always want lower serial numbers. I don't really collect bills, but have considered trying it out. Anyway, this bill has a lower serial number than I am used to seeing on bills I come across. and i was wondering if it was anything worth hanging on to or worth anything at all. And the picture brings me to my next question. Is it acceptable to iron bills? I have done it to really wrinkled bills or bills that got soaking wet before, but I do not know if , from a collector standpoint, it is acceptable to do so or if it damages the fabric somehow. Thank you in advance for your input.
Never iron notes. If you want to reduce the creases, just put it between the pages of a book. Not perfect but it helps somewhat.
Don't iron your notes. Pressing the notes is frequently frowned upon, but I think it's perfectly acceptable in some situations. If you plan on keeping the notes, you can try to steam them over a kettle and then put them in a book to dry. Put the note between two pages of white paper, so that the moisture from the note does not smear the ink in the book causing it to transfer back to the note. Once the note is in the book, place it on a hard surface and stack some other books on top of it. Leave it there for at least 48 hours. The reason this works is because of the type of paper the note is made off. It's actually a cotton/linen mixture. The steam will make the threads expand and relax. Then as it dries, the threads contract and stiffen. Keep in mind, if a note has any folds or creases, it is obvious when the note has been pressed. Some people do it to improve the appearance of the note and then sell it. A third party grader will be able to easily tell when the note has been pressed. Doing so will likely cost it a possible PPQ/EPQ rating. These ratings stand for Premium Paper Quality or Exceptional Paper Quality and indicate that the paper is more or less original. A PPQ/EPQ rating usually commands a significant premium over an equivalent grade. Your note may have some original embossing that will make it valuable. I must admit I have pressed some notes that I decided to frame. They came out nicely and made the folds less significant. I also pressed a note that had a bend in it (no crease). That note came out exceptionally well.
