Hello all, I was flipping through eBay looking for store card tokens & saw a 1953 red seal $2 and shot (what I considered) to he a lowball bid...and won. I have no idea if it's anything special or not, but it looked neat. I'm admittedly lacking in knowledge of paper currency. Can anyone offer any information on this note? I'm a total banknote newb so please feel free to elaborate in your responses. http://www.ebay.com/itm/221609842235 Thanks, CopperCastle
This is a red seal Legal Tender note: Series of 1953 A Signatures: Priest & Anderson Printage: 18,000,000 Catalog number: F-1510 (Freidberg number) Your note is in fairly good condition from what I can see in the Seller pics. They are common and one like this might fall in the $5-$10 range-- more toward the lower end of that range, I would say. So you did fine with a low ball bid. It may be worth more if certified at a high grade, but grading fees would cost more than the value of the note. I like the depiction of Monticello on the back side of these notes, but never felt the width of the reverse design fit the shape of the bill, leaving large white areas on the left and right margins of the back.
Many thanks for your very thorough response krispy! I've posed the same question on other numismatic sites & this is by far the most information I've received. There appears to be a line over the head. I'm not for sure if it's graffiti, but I hope not. It's a really level line. My first thought was a staple, but it doesn't seem to have any holes on the reverse. I look forward to receiving it soon. It's shipping from a bordering state so I shouldn't be waiting to long, but with the holidays the post tends to be a little more sluggish.
There's a chance that line is printed on the note, like a trim or registration mark of some kind, esp. Since the face of the note is not well centered in the margins. That centering also affects the grade and hence the value of a note.
It's right about what it should sell for, if it were uncirculated. With shipping, the cost is a little more than what I would have paid, seeing as it has some minor handling.
It arrived Friday. Krispy, you were correct. It looks to be some kind of alignment mark printed directly on the bill. It's quite stunning in-hand. The picture really doesn't do the note justice. I'm enthralled!
