So I'm still torn. I think I mentioned this old pile of around 100 USA $1 and $2 notes a while back that came down to me from a relative that passed away over 10 years ago. I pulled out some obvious keepers (maybe 10 or so), such as a 1935 G Silver Certificate in pretty much pristine condition. There was also a $2 1976 star note from the Minneapolis Fed which seems to have value, a near perfect 1974 $5 (the only $5 in the batch) and a run of crisp sharp consecutive serial 1981 $1 notes. The rest range from 1963 to 2006 and are ratty, folded, marked on or worn. A few almost qualify as tissue. I didn't see any interesting serial numbers or errors either. Of course they also contain 11 1963 B Barr notes, since everyone was told to save them back then, but none even come close to "nice" condition. They obviously circulated well. I then purchased the "United States Paper Money" Red Book 6th edition and went through all of the bills. None of them seem to have value in anything less than Unc-63 condition. All of theses remaining notes look pulled from circulation and certainly look like it. There are too many to photograph, of course, but I'm wondering if there is anything I might have missed before considering these "spenders" and releasing them back into circulation. Of course I have some hesitation since they were pulled from circulation decades ago by a relative, but why keep the ratty ones for just that reason? I just want to make sure I didn't miss anything. They have a tiny bit of sentimental value, but I really don't need to keep them all. The nice ones that I pulled out should suffice.
What a dilemma. I, personally, would want to see photos to evaluate your cache before making any decisions, but if you aren't able, due to the number, I'd say put them back in circulation. Maybe bundle them and sell on ebay?
So did you take out all of the Silver Certificates? If not, you put them up as a lot even if they are a little worn.
I did keep all of the silver certificates regardless of condition. There weren't many, maybe 5, including the only 1935. The rest were 1957s Based on this, it sounds like I've checked everything that I can and so should release these back into the wild. Thanks for the input, that definitely helps.
Do what's suits you. Add to your collection and spend the rest or save them all. Just remember where you got them from.
The saddest purchase I made on eBay was for five (5) unopened 1958 proof sets. Each envelop had the same shaky cursive handwriting of an elderly man... To: Robby Fm: Grampa Jones ...and every envelop was still unopened. If it were me, I would put each note in its own plastic holder, label them with the name of the relative who collected it (and any helpful information about the note...rarity, condition, etc), then give them out to young relatives as they grow old enough to appreciate them. With kids, the more tattered, the better!
Yes, that's sad for "Grampa Jones." He tried, but just because you leave something to your descendants doesn't mean that your descendants will actually want it. Coin collectors sometimes assume that everyone appreciates the value and history of their collections, but not everyone does. Well, they may appreciate the value and sell it immediately upon receiving it. My family has had coins distributed from passed on relatives in the past few decades, but since these relatives typically saved only pocket change, most of it has little to no monetary value and so the recipients lost interest in it almost immediately after finding this out. Their sentiments for their lost relatives didn't extend to coins. Some did appreciate these relatives' other possessions though, such as furniture, pictures, letters, personally signed books, etc. Pocket change doesn't always have an obvious personal connection to an individual. For the most part, we had no idea why the people saved what they did. It all just seemed like random piles of old change. As for handing these bills out to kids in my family, I already know that they won't appreciate them. $1 or $2 really doesn't buy much these days and they haven't reacted at all to old money, or really to anything old, in the past. These ratty bills don't have a chance, because they have to compete with things far more stimulating to today's young sensibilities. These kids have their own mobile phones, after all, and they react more to branded gift cards than to cash. I'm not trying to be depressing, but the reality is that not everyone appreciates old coins or bills, even when handed down from a relative. In the case of my own bill stack, I have a pile of old bills obviously taken from circulation. I don't know exactly when or why the person saved each bill. I know that one person had collected them into a pile, but I never discussed this pile with the person. I didn't even know that these bills existed until they passed on. I have no idea if the pile even meant anything to the person when alive. So I'm really left with an anonymous pile, out of which I found a few things to save. Obviously, I struggle with this, otherwise I wouldn't have rambled on so much (sorry), but, in the end, the bills or coins are not the people and these "things" can never replace them. They are just symbols of varying value to various people. In my experience, people typically want the money that valuable heirlooms can bring, they don't want the things themselves. Then they can do with the money what they please. Perhaps that's sad, but it's something that I've seen over and over again. I do feel for poor "Grampa Jones."
Looks like I’m a bit late. But, I think that it’s better to spend the more tattered bills (especially from the 90s up to 2006). When I began collecting, I was given some worn notes from the 80s at one point, but I spent them. Unfortunately, it seems that most younger people wouldn’t be interested, but it’s still legal tender after all. It’s your decision, but, the way I see it, money (especially speaking in terms of more modern notes, not a coin that’s a family heirloom) rarely has sentimental value. It changes hands so often, that it’s hard to attach an emotional value to it.
UPDATE...My memory was just a tad off. The proof sets were 1962 (not 1958) and it wasn't "Grandpa Jones"...it was "Grandpa Hall". It seems a shame that Robbie didn't even open them up to have a look.
