Odd $20, as promised.

Discussion in 'Paper Money' started by Small Size, Apr 22, 2016.

  1. Small Size

    Small Size Active Member

    This note was retrieved from circulation in Las Vegas. It is missing the third printing entirely. More interestingly, it has been hand cut from a half sheet of sixteen, of which it had been the lower right hand impression.
    My theory is that it was meant to be destroyed at the BEP, but was instead stolen, probably along with the rest of the sheet it had been part of. Perhaps more than one such sheet at the same time. A good time in Vegas was then had by some.
    What do others think? Ever seen one like it?
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Apr 22, 2016
    Stevearino likes this.
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. SteveInTampa

    SteveInTampa Always Learning

    Cool error note, and yes, I have seen error notes missing the third print. Respectfully, my thoughts about it being hand cut from a sheet, and stolen from the BEP is that your theory is pure speculation. There is plenty of top margin on this note for anybody to butcher the cutting job, and not necessarily from a sheet.
     
  4. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

    Nice note and I've seen this many times before. As for your stolen from the BEP, I doubt it. The side and bottom margins are cut just fine, by a machine. As for the top, it looks as if the machine had a rough cut for some reason. The left and right edges are straight. Someone may have trimmed with a pair of scissors but I doubt it. A perfectly legit error note.
     
  5. Small Size

    Small Size Active Member

    My question continues to be - why would somebody roughly cut the top and left margins of a note already valuable as an unusual error?
    This note has the upper face plate number H2, meaning it was the bottom note of the second column of a thirty-two sheet note. If the sheet were cut in two vertically, it would be the bottom right note of the left half sheet.
    If you look closely, you see that this note has irregular top and left margins. The top margin is especially ragged. It would need to be cut away from a half sheet at the left and at the top. As it was indeed cut, I say apparently by hand.
    This is my theory. I agree ahead of time that I have a vivid imagination:
    In the 1980's, currency printer's waste at the BEP that had not gone through the third printing was not strictly treated as accountable paper. Such waste would be disposed of as needed by two randomly selected employees taking it to the incinerator and burning it. They would sign a form attesting to their action and that would be that. Security was supposedly accomplished by the random assignment process, so no two employees could consider it likely they'd be assigned together.
    "Likely" being the key word there. If two, or more, employees agreed that, if assigned together to burn some printer's waste, they would steal some of it to spend, they would just wait until chance got them assigned together. Sheets of notes that had gone through the first and second printing would be the obvious choice for such a scheme. They likely would have already been cut into half sheets to make them easier to handle.
    Conspirators secreted some number of incomplete half sheets of twenties on their persons, took them home, cut them up, and had a grand time in Las Vegas. Eventually, somebody found one of them in circulation, and the result is what we're discussing.
     
    Last edited: Apr 22, 2016
  6. -jeffB

    -jeffB Greshams LEO Supporter

    Frankly, I'm surprised that anyone ever accepted that note as legitimate. It looks glaringly wrong, even to a non-paper-collector like me. I'd think most cashiers would refuse to accept it.
     
  7. SteveInTampa

    SteveInTampa Always Learning

    Wait, What ??

    I've got a cushy government job, with retirement benefits, good pay and so on and I'm going to risk that in a high security environment to steal a half sheet of $20's , missing the third print, that may or may not be able to be spent ?

    I'm afraid to ask you your opinion about Oswald being the lone assassin.
     
    saltysam-1 and Collecting Nut like this.
  8. saltysam-1

    saltysam-1 Junior Member

    That is quiet a premise. I don't think it can be proven so it's value remains the same as an error note. Even if remotely true, would it change anything? You would have to find someone in jail for this crime, and have them sign a statement to verify your contention. Maybe your trying to sell yourself on this idea? I would just leave it alone and be happy you have it. It's like finding a Civil War nickel dated 1863 and presenting it as carried by Abraham Lincoln.
     
  9. Small Size

    Small Size Active Member

    Why are the top and left margin cut in an irregular manner? It just happens to be an example of a rather scarce error that was deliberately mutilated too?
    My tale about how it might have entered circulation isn't entirely fantasy based. The destruction process I described was what people who worked at the time BEP said was standard procedure.
    As for the penalty for being caught, as mentioned by the previous poster - criminals don't expect to be caught, or why would they commit crimes?
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page