Ironing Paper Money?

But it is the same thing. You are adding stuff to your note. If you use tap water to iron, that means whatever is in your tap water, which is at least chlorine and fluoride (both of which are corrosive). Don't even get me started on the minerals in heavy water. Even if you use distilled water, you'll add to the note whatever happens to be in the iron (even if that's just dust). Remember that the paper in notes is cotton based. Cotton rots. Adding things to notes unnecessarily only speeds up the rotting process. As noted by several other people here, note collectors will see the effects of ironing quickly. Thus making the ironing unnecessary.

 

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So if I have an antique desk with some scratches and gouges I should sand the whole thing down then lacquer/varnish it? It'd look alot better, wouldn't it?

 

I do note that it's borderline okay if it's simply for yourself, and there wasn't much value in it initially. Should be noted, though, so it doesn't get passed on incorrectly.

 

Hey Nos whats Happening !!!

I remember when I was 8 or 9 years old I used to Iron all of my paper money, I liked the way it looked all flat and straight,today I really hate to think of all of those Late 1950's and early 1960's Bills that I ruined in my ignorance !!!

Rick

 

I decline to answer any of your interogative inquiries. I will say this though and that is that I did not use any water.

 

Take another look at his picture. Would a collector with more than a week's experience fail to notice - among other things:

• the bad fold/crimp marks at the upper right
• the diagonal fold of the upper left corner that goes through the "10"
• the wrinkle near that corner from the "C2" down toward the "4"
• etc., etc., etc.?

Bottom line - an ironed wrinkled/folded bill is just as obvious as a whizzed coin.

 

Yes I know it has been folded but when I got it it was just horrible!! It scrunged up in two places when you layed it down on a table! Now it is nice and smooth and fit for a holder. I can see how just the thought it's been "repaired" doesn't look good but it didn't look good anyways when I got it.

 

I think maybe I'll use a little bit of starch, too. That'll really make it straighten out.












Just kidding, guys! Calm down!

This discussion certainly has been interesting for me. I am not an extremely knowledgable numismatist and when it comes to paper money I am a novice.

As I said in a previous reply, it appears that there are two sides to this discussion:

(1) Preserving the note in its "found" (and unaltered) state for reasons of value, resale, etc.
(2) Ironing the note to smooth out some of its wrinkles for reasons of aesthetics.

It all seems to depend on your perspective of collecting. I had a coin dealer once tell me that there are two types of collectors: the hobbyist who collects for the joy of collecting and the reseller who buys and sells coins as a business. He told me you can't do both. I don't know that I completely agree with that, but one thing I take from that is the way I collect coins and paper money. I like to know how valuable something is just because that's part of the fun - "...and THIS coin is worth $..." But I will probably never sell anything I have. That's why I collect. I think both the hobbyist-type and the business-type can and do enjoy the world of coins, but they have different perspectives on things.

What does that have to do with the topic? I think that all came from the perspective idea.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for their input and if the thread continues...thanks for those in the future who contribute!

 

Picture of the note

By the way...here is a picture of the note in question.

 

Whoa. That is something!

 

That's a pretty noticeable error. I'm surprised it circulated for so long. The note may be almost 11 years old but due to its poor condition I dont think it will ever be worth much so I fully recommend "repairing" it as you see fit!

 

For the love of numismatics, please stop trying to tell everyone it's A OK to iron a note.... Never be worth much? NEVER EVER? a Local dealer had something similiar in his local shop IN WORSE shape than that note, for 10.00 ... Surely 10X's face value is a good value eh?
( yes it did sell, it was crinkled..... folded, looked like an accordian ) I can't see the note in hand, so i'm not gonna say it looks like you already did the job or not.... My advice, coming from an experienced collector, and the knowlege given to me by proffessionals who have been in this hobby for over 10 years, including some from this forum.... Don't ruin the note please....Of course it's entirely up to you as well... Do as ya see fit, either way, that's one heck of an error ya got there, I love it.

 

I would consider that entirely true... unless it was being sold over the internet, especially sight unseen... But, yes I do see what you are saying.

 

This is no contradiction at all. A carved coin no longer has any value as the original coin it once was - it's value is entirely as a carved coin. You want to iron notes and keep them as collectable notes. If you want to iron a note to make it nice looking to spend, then fine, but to iron it for a collection is to damage it's value as a collectable.

 

I don't think it is this easy. "Better-looking" is in the eye of the casual observer. A serious collector sees that fresh, just-pressed look on a circulated note as unattractive, and the desirability of that note is forever diminished.

 

BTW, I am a little confused here. NOS has been haranguing the Forum for weeks over carved coins, saying that we should preserve everything in original condition for future generations, yet when it comes to notes, it is OK to destroy their value in an effort to make them look pretty.

Another poster also mentioned that if the coins/notes are for their collection and not for investment, it is OK to make them look good since they have no intention of selling them. How many nice, old coins have we seen that have been dipped, cleaned, or otherwise “improved” by the person who owned them? Damaging a collectable coin is irresponsible for the hobby, and it will diminish the value of the item. And, no mater what anyone intends, someday their coin collection will be sold (by them or their heirs). It is better to preserve the value for whoever is going to sell the coins.

 

Like cleaned coins, notes that have been ironed or otherwise doctored are easy to detect. Cleaning/altering is forever and will almost certainly reduce any collectible value, even though it might make them look a little better to some eyes.
Nick

 

I am reminded of the lady who brought in some rare early American chest of drawers to the Antiques Roadshow. The expert asked her if it had a rather mottled, somewhat ugly looking finish on it at one time. She brightened up, “yes it did, but I got rid of it and refinished it in this nice color”. Then the expert told her that her little effort at improving it reduced it’s value from about a quarter of a million dollars to under $100,000.

Oh, well, it “looked nice” to her after she refinished it.

Just when we finally convinced most collectors (even new ones!) that cleaning coins is (almost) never a good idea, we now are staring over with bank notes. If ironing improves a note because it makes it look flatter, why not give it a little bath to brighten it up?

If I had a note that was hopelessly crumpled, I would wait until a real humid day (not tough to find in Massachusetts), set it out for a day or two to get a bit humidified, then sandwich it in a heavy book for a few weeks.

 

That 1993 note is in such poor shape that I wouldn't want to own it for too long. I would quickly spend it. Now I will say this and that is that I hope you understand my feelings and point of views on carving old coins as you do with ironing currency.

 

If you telling this guy to iron his note was a way of making your point towards those who encourage coin carving, you may have some issues....