Let's See Some Beautiful Notes

1896 $5 Educational Series

I think the original dies are kept by the BEP.This is a Souvenir Card of the Note.
The Vignette is of Allegorical group showing electricity as the dominant force in the world.Engraved by G.F.C. Smillie from a painting by Walter Shirlaw with border elements designed by Thomas F. Morris.

 

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This one isn't in the best shape, but it's interesting looking. It's one of two notes my great grandfather used to carry with him in his wallet, much like some coin collectors carry a pocket piece.




Guy~

 

$5 Peninsular Bank of Detroit

$5 Detroit Peninsular Bank of detroit obsolete bank note.

 

$20 Citizens Bank of Louisiana

$20 Citizens Bank of Louisiana obsolete bank Note.

 

The Government of Texas

$5 The Government of Texas signed by Smith/Houston.

 

When I start collecting bills how can I determine grade and fair price? I suspect this takes a lot of skill (unless they are already graded). Is there a reliable reference book out there that'll help?

 

If you are just starting & have absolutly no experience in grading raw note,I would only by PCGS/PMG graded notes,then I would get a grading book like"official guid to Us Paper Grading & Counterfeit Detection' or some other members may have better reference book that they could suggest.
But don't buy raw notes yet,I have several note I need graded myself that I bought years ago & still cannot accuretly guess what grade they will come back after sending out to be graded,much easier & safer for now to buy graded then finding out later the note has been repaired of overgraded by the seller (raw).

 

"f you are just starting & have absolutly no experience in grading raw note,I would only by PCGS/PMG graded notes,then I would get a grading book like"official guid to Us Paper Grading & Counterfeit Detection' or some other members may have better reference book that they could suggest. . . "

Makes sense to me. I'm really struck by the beauty of these bills. They're works of art. I saw many beautiful bills at the Whitman show in Baltimore but didn't buy any becauase I don't know what I'm buying.
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Obsolete New England Bank Note (Remainder)

 

This one has been repaired extensively, but I couldn't have afforded it otherwise.

Ben Franklin supplied the marbled paper for this issue. It's the only date (May 10, 1775) and denomination of continental currency to have these dimensions and the only one to use marbled paper, though a later private bank note used paper from the same stock.

 

Nice example! This is the first time I've heard about the marbled paper. I know Ben Franklin (if I remember correctly) used the imprint of a leaf as a counterfeiting measure.

 

Thanks.

You're right about Franklin and nature prints.

You probably know this, but the idea with the marbling was to match the pattern on the note against the pattern on a retained stub. Sometimes the cut was made in a wavy pattern (called indenting) that added another dimension that had to match.

BTW, the real process for making this paper involves dragging paper through water on the surface of which oil-based dyes are swirled around. Before I got this note, I drew one as an illustration (below), scanned the drawing and printed it on marbled paper. I made the of marbled paper by squirting food coloring onto some shaving cream and swirling it around with toothpicks. The shaving cream holds the pattern, which is imparted to a piece of paper pressed against it. Quiickly washing the paper removes the shaving cream, but leaves the pattern. My kids really got a kick out of this.

 

What an interesting thread! I just now stumbled upon it. I haven't seen many foreign notes and the ones from Thailand and France are stunning.

 

The "beautiful notes" thread seems to be breaking along some interesting lines. There are some amazing older-generation notes, that take the engraving art to the highest level. Then there are the new-gen notes, utilizing (my old hobby-horse) multiple anti-counterfeiting features, polymer media, and often "printing to the edge". Deciding which is more beautiful is like asking which of your children you prefer. I'm partial to the new-gen notes, but only before it's a) global (my collection is mostly world money) and b) cost effective to collect. Pretty sure the new-gen collections will never reach the financial value of the older generation collections, but that's not the point, is it?

Having said that, I think any of the notes that win the annual IBNS note of the year would be a good place to start. They are all available at the IBNS site http://www.theibns.org/ , so I won't copy them here.

I also like the recent Bank of Venezuela series. Here is the 2 Bolivar note, as an example. Recent Venezuelan politics aside, these are some kickin' notes........(scans from Ron Wise's excellent website, of course)

 

... and just to show that I "love all my children equally", here is the note that got me started. About 20 years ago, I spotted one of these in a cashier's till at a liquor store (!). He would not give it to me even up - I must have let on that it was unique, but it turned my casual hobby into a desire to learn all I could about the older notes. I eventually had to buy this one to close that chapter. The engraving on this one is deep and sharp. The entire 1937 series is beautiful - all nicely integrated, with George VI on the front and different allegorical scenes on the back.

- This is the $10 partner to Coleguy's $2.

 

I love the reverse on that series! One of my favorites.

 

Alright, I'll bite. There are not enough obsolete notes posted on this thread, so I'll add one. I'm quite partial to the eagle on this note, plus it's from my hometown.

 

MorganMan - Nice layout for that note!

 

Yes, those are not cheap! I would love to own one, but alas a pension is quite hard to live off of!

 

I see the text is from banknotes.com websight / is it oke to take it but where did you find unmarked image at? May I ask i'd like to builkd my own databese on a cd. thanks rajiv