Paper Money: New Acquisitions

-Your best bet is to put them in proper currency sleeves & keep them in a dry place. Moisture will cause toning (or browning) & most collectors can notice if the note has been lightly pressed (placed in a book). The paper used in most books has been bleached & traces can leach into the note (& lighten its appearance). Take a closer look at your 10 & 20 yuan notes & you will see they still have crispness & some embossing (use a magnifying glass & you will see the texture left by the printing process) where the notes haven't been folded. Compare them to the more circulated notes.

It is really unfortunate that some collectors think they can improve the appearance of a note by flattening (or doctoring) them somehow. All efforts to improve a note's appearance are noticeable once you've developed an eye for it- the various means of processing a note (if one has been collecting long enough the evidence jumps out at you).

-Very understandable as a lot of African notes have beautiful designs.

 

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@Notaphylic_C

I appreciate the wealth of knowledge you have in these matters and will leave well alone. Straight into sleeves it is.

 

Leap Year. Cool

 

Sounds like good advice to me.

 

I hate when I can’t see the year. All old bills are new to me

 

Just organized a swap for these 4 Aussie notes which will fill a few gaps.
I will post better scans when they arrive.

 

Found in circulation.
2 x 2015 NZ $10 Type II Wheeler - First prefix of year AA
Condition VF

Last prefix has not been advised yet, but I kept a BO just in case

 

Can you tell me why the "First prefix of year AA" is important? I had never heard of this trend (to seek out the 1st prefix) until I started collecting World currency (esp UK, AUD & NZ collectors).

In Canada first prefix notes are inconsequential & I'm still trying to figure out why they're "sought after" according to World collectors (particularly from the UK & Australia). I get the last prefixes (which are usually short) but the first prefix baffles me.
(Thanks in advance)

 

@Notaphylic_C

@Notaphylic_C
Yes, I am baffled by the idea - particularly first prefixes.

If I find them for face I keep them in my collection because they could be good for swapping or potential gain of x2 or x3 face. Also at any stage they can be spent and will still be worth $10 minimum.

John Bertrands 2022 guide ($10 page below) gives Wheeler AA15 rates up to $50 UNC.

 

-thanks for your reply & added attachment showing Bertrand's 2022 guide. Since the first 2 digits take care of the year the note was issued (like AA15 for the 2nd type of Graeme-Wheeler), I'm guessing that the first prefix is in fact 1,000,000 notes (like all the other prefixes) but that some collectors prefer these. It would be interesting to poll other collectors from NZ & Australia to see if they really do seek them. The last prefixes make sense b/c they can often be short runs.

The reason I suggest you poll other collectors is b/c in Canada we have what are called "insert replacements" listed in our Charlton guide. I've personally seen interest in these inserts grow & wane yet the catalogue never shows the inserts slip in book value. We have to account for who is on the pricing panel & some of these members are avid insert collector/dealers! (I know its a conflict of interest).

Also, I don't find there is much demand for newer notes & even the retired series (15+ years old) don't sell like the much older series (50+ years old). In that regard, Charlton is hopelessly optimistic (with inflated book values).

Another thing you'd never see a demand for here is AA07/AA08 same # collector sets. We had a matching Birds & Journey set our central bank released about 20 years ago called "Lasting Impressions" that flopped (nobody bought them). Most collectors here I know loathe sets! LOL

 

@Notaphylic_C

This is definitely an issue IMO

Most of the collectors I have communications with are overseas, so I don't think I can get an opinion on NZ first prefixes. However, checking one Auckland dealers website brings up 52 listings for 'first prefix' NZ banknotes. Here's a selection with mind blowing prices - also bearing in mind these are not slabbed.

2015 NZ - $10 - 10 Conseq - Wheeler - 1st Prefix - AA15767830-39 $500 Unc

2018 NZ - $50 - Orr - 1st Prefix- AA18973997, AA18973998 - Unc $500
1995 NZ- $100 Polymer - Brash - 1st Prefix - AA99 959620 Unc $400
1989-92 NZ - $20 - Brash 'Type 1' - 1st Prefix -THT000013 - Unc $700

 

Dealers (& eBay "BIN" sellers) can ask whatever they want: it doesn't mean that they actually realize such lofty prices. (We've seen some outrageous eBay BIN prices but I'm sure most brick'n'mortar (LCS) dealers expect some haggling & typically their prices are closer to book value).

What's interesting about the prices you have listed is that the dealer offers such recent (eg 2018) notes. It is difficult to buy newer series here (as most of that market for recent issued Bank of Canada stuff is almost exclusively eBay). You will see the odd newer item on auction but rarely in an LCS inventory.

Sadly, that #13 $20 "Brash" note was probably $500 before QEII passed away.

 

@Notaphylic_C

That poses a question - where do the dealers get their stock? They always have such great prefixes

The 1989-92 NZ - $20 - Brash 'Type 1' - 1st Prefix -THT000013 - Unc $700 is listed in Bertrands Cat. at $130. Last prefix listed at $550

One of his higher prices
1992-99 NZ - $100 Replacement Pair - Brash - ZZ009325-6 - Unc $4600

[/QUOTE]

This Auckland dealer has a small shop in Royal Oak, Auckland and states on his website

'Certificates for 3,000 sales on eBay and 4000 on Trade Me. Numerous achievements during our years in the numismatic trade, including 3 terms as a director of the International Bank Note Society. Peter is currently President of the New Zealand Numismatic Dealers Association'

 

They usually get their stock from other dealers but occasionally buy from walk-in customers. But they rarely buy notes from a previous series (unless a special serial, replacement, or dramatic error) & usually seek the older series (like 50+ years old).

Thought that price seemed very high. I saw some comments to that affect on some of the other forums re: QEII notes & checked eBay for Canadian 2004 $20 & they have all seemed to have inflated in price. Most of these notes are very common & the prices are unrealistic IMO.

 

@Notaphylic_C

Very nice paper Brash - First Hillary 92/93 Type II First Prefix $5
I'm surprised by the cat. price on that one.

I have polymer first prefixes from 2009 Issue 6 - Bollard,
and 2015 Issue 7 Wheeler.

The mountain looks different on those 2 issues, although it is stated to be Mount Cook, in NZ South Island, which is the country's highest mountain.
It was the scene of Sir Edmund Hillary’s earliest, major climbing successes and was one of his favorite mountains.

Kaokao is the name of the pattern included on the banknote. It is from the Tane-Nui-A-Rangi meeting house on the University of Auckland marae



Reverses for comparison 2009 and 2015

 

NZ $10 Millennium note.
I am short of a UNC example, and they go for high figures. so I took a gamble on a NZ auction for 9 notes.

Photos were poor but it was stated 'Some are used, while others are unused in perfect condition'. Paid 23% over face for the 9 notes. I could see one had minor corner damage (still spendable), but everything else was a mystery.

Arrived today and received a pleasant surprise.
3 UNC/aUNC - cat value 2 Black Serial x $50
inc one rare RED Serial (only 500,000 issued). Value $70
5 EF/VF valued at $15-20, and one damaged to spend at $10

The lower one shown has a nice number 00033222

RED SERIAL NZ 00810409

BLACK Serial BD 00033222

Here's the auction photo - not very exciting.

 

Another arrival this morning from a friend

3 notes from Zambia

 

Cambodia 1956 - 1 Riel

 

@BasSWarwick - I really like the lot of commemorative Tens you won. The red serial number must have been a fabulous surprise (along with the UNC condition of the 3 notes). Did you win this from a local auction or Australian auction?

-Nice friend!
Here's the 5:
-that match the 50 series you posted. Zambia was one of the first nations I acquired when I started to wet my toes in World notes.