How many of you true-blue numismatists dabble in paper?

[shirohniichan]

I have a couple of acquaintances that are big on paper. They've enthusiastically shown me their new acquisitions while I try hard not to let my eyes glaze over.

 

My recent readings on the Legal Tender question of the Reconstruction Period has me interested in getting a Rainbow Note to add to the few fractionals I've bought. This is all terra incognita to me, and I'm almost afraid to take the plunge for fear of buying a doctored note.

 

Is there anyone else here who's maybe interested in a note or two but who can't really see himself collecting paper in the long run?

[James_OldeTowne]

I own a single Hawaii issue one-dollar bill, and no more. Having cataloged a couple thousand pieces, I've been forced to learn some, but on top of everything, I've learned that I don't truly ever expect to collect paper. The art can be extraordinary, though.

[jtryka]

I own lots of paper, but I'll never admit to it!

[Walkerfan]

When I was younger, I collected paper (Currency AND Stamps). As far as the currency; I never had anything exceedingly rare (some original $2 bills and silver and gold certificates). I truly feel that coins have a better investment potential but I have a friend who has always been enthused at the idea of owning a Crisp Unc. $1000 bill with Grover Cleveland's pic. I must admit, that it WOULD be pretty cool!

[nunfa0]

I don't think I will get into notes but a friend of mine has a New Zealand $5 note that features Sir Edmund Hillary and that has been hand signed by Sir Ed himself.

That would be cool to have.

[SouthFlorida guy]

Is there anyone else here who's maybe interested in a note or two but who can't really see himself collecting paper in the long run?

 

I collect notes that I happen to like. The $10 bison/1899 $1 eagle/1896 $1 educational note/1891 $1 martha note. Some colonial currency including a Ben Franklin printed note 1760. Just to name a few....

 

I actually find the art work on early notes very appealing. Far more appealing than coins.

 

Which has more artistic qualities? A Morgan dollar? **Yawn** Or notes like this?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[World Colonial]

Is there anyone else here who's maybe interested in a note or two but who can't really see himself collecting paper in the long run?

 

That would describe my interest in currency notes. I have always liked the 1899 US $5 Silver certificate pictured in the above post and also the $1 "Black Eagle" and $10 Bison. But I have never owned them and never will.

 

If I were to collect currency, I would opt for Union of South Africa to compliment my coin collection. But I'm not buying those either because I do not even have enough numismatic money to finish the coin sets, much less for something else. And most or all of the Union notes are scarce to very rare in better condition, assuming they can even be found.

 

Another reason I am not interested in currency notes is because the ones I like are very expensive in my opinion and this appears to be true of many currency notes in better condition.

 

It's my understanding that some or many of them have already experienced big run-ups in price in the last 10 years or so and if this is correct, I'm not interested in buying at what I would consider to be much closer to the top of the cycle than the bottom.

[physics-fan3.14]

Paper money, like stamps or baseball cards or comics or pretty much anything else "collectible" made out of paper, bores me to tears. Yeah, some of the artwork is interesting, but I'd much rather spend the same amount of money and get an actual painting.

[djdilliodon]

The only time i dabble in paper is when i buy coins .

[SouthFlorida guy]

Paper money, like stamps or baseball cards or comics or pretty much anything else "collectible" made out of paper, bores me to tears.

 

Yea, it's akin to looking at the same boring mint sets, only with different dates. Who needs xanax when those exist?

[BillJones]

I dabble with paper money. My most serious venture into it is a type set of Fractional Currency notes that I put together back in the 1980s as part of my Civil War collection. I've also considered getting one piece of paper money from each of the 13 colonies, but never followed through on it.

 

One of the most surprising items I found was a piece of Civil War merchant's -script from my home town, Milton, Delaware. I located a Dealware collector who easily has the best collection of Delaware material anywhere, and he and I compared notes. I wrote an article about Milton, Delaware -script, but I've been unable to get it published. Here is my note. I believe that few than 10 of the these notes are known.

 

[PerryHall]

I collect U.S. gold coins. The only collectible paper money that I have is a $5 National Gold Bank Note from the First National Gold Bank of San Francisco with the array of gold coins on the back of the note. This note is very rare, very popular, and very neat----especially for a gold coin collector.

[Conder101]

I dabble a little in paper but my collections are somewhat odd. I have a one per country collection back to around 1860. I only lack about seven countries. I have a one per country of polymer notes. I also have something of a facination for counterfeit notes, especially counterfeits used as an instrument of war. I have a complete set of Operation Bernard notes from WWII, and I have one of the 100 dollar counterfeit Canadian notes printed by the Germans during WWI for the same purposes. What I would really like for my counterfeit collection would be a 1922 500 Escudo note of Portugal from Alveres Reis, the greatest counterfieter of all time. The problem is those are expensive and hard to identify. You have to find one of the few notes where he made a mistake in the sercurity code number. His non-error notes can't be told from the real ones.

[James_OldeTowne]

Incidentally, I do the Springfield (Illinois) show three times a year, and my table buddy is none other than Robert Kravitz, THE authority on fractional currency. It's a good thing that I don't do any paper, since it means our respective inventories hardly ever overlap.

 

His book on fractionals is the standard, but he's coming out with a new and much updated issue soon, so don't buy any older copies of his book!

[DWLange]

I used to have 40-50 large size type notes grading VF-UNC and a nearly complete small size type set from $1 through $100 (missing only the 1933 $10) in AU-UNC. I also had a most of the USA-Philippines notes 1903-45 by type over a broad range of grades. All are gone now, except for a small scattering of fractionals, colonial, CSA and world notes of modest value. When I go as far as I can with a collection it gets sold to fund some other collecting venture.

[SkyMan]

I don't go after notes per se, by I do collect a few "short snorter" notes that have been signed by astronauts. I also have one "flown" bill, and would be open to maybe buying another one or two.

 

Signed by the Mercury 7 and Bill Dana (a comedian who created Jose Jimenez, the reluctant astronaut).

 

Flown on Faith 7.

[shirohniichan]

I collect U.S. gold coins. The only collectible paper money that I have is a $5 National Gold Bank Note from the First National Gold Bank of San Francisco with the array of gold coins on the back of the note. This note is very rare, very popular, and very neat----especially for a gold coin collector.

 

As a Californian with an interest in the use of money in California, this sounds like an intriguing note. What year was it issued?

 

As my interest in coins as a means of daily commerce in the 1870s increases, so does my interest in collecting a few representative notes from the Reconstruction Period. Reading Neil Carother's Fractional Money led me to want not only the coins used during the 1870s but also fractional notes, especially since they made up the bulk of fractional money used in daily purchases in the first half of the 1870s in the east. Reading about the Gold Rush also directed me toward collecting foreign silver coins that circulated in California as US coins weren't as often seen in San Francisco, Sacramento and the gold camps.

[PerryHall]

Question---What was the only country to issue paper money but never issued coins?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answer---The Republic of Texas

 

 

 

 

[PerryHall]

I collect U.S. gold coins. The only collectible paper money that I have is a $5 National Gold Bank Note from the First National Gold Bank of San Francisco with the array of gold coins on the back of the note. This note is very rare, very popular, and very neat----especially for a gold coin collector.

 

As a Californian with an interest in the use of money in California, this sounds like an intriguing note. What year was it issued?

 

As my interest in coins as a means of daily commerce in the 1870s increases, so does my interest in collecting a few representative notes from the Reconstruction Period. Reading Neil Carother's Fractional Money led me to want not only the coins used during the 1870s but also fractional notes, especially since they made up the bulk of fractional money used in daily purchases in the first half of the 1870s in the east. Reading about the Gold Rush also directed me toward collecting foreign silver coins that circulated in California as US coins weren't as often seen in San Francisco, Sacramento and the gold camps.

 

Since it shows Series of 1870, I would assume it was issued in that year or soon after that. The National Gold Banks were all located in California and were the only National Banks that were required to redeem their notes in gold coin.

 

 

[shirohniichan]

I collect U.S. gold coins. The only collectible paper money that I have is a $5 National Gold Bank Note from the First National Gold Bank of San Francisco with the array of gold coins on the back of the note. This note is very rare, very popular, and very neat----especially for a gold coin collector.

 

As a Californian with an interest in the use of money in California, this sounds like an intriguing note. What year was it issued?

 

As my interest in coins as a means of daily commerce in the 1870s increases, so does my interest in collecting a few representative notes from the Reconstruction Period. Reading Neil Carother's Fractional Money led me to want not only the coins used during the 1870s but also fractional notes, especially since they made up the bulk of fractional money used in daily purchases in the first half of the 1870s in the east. Reading about the Gold Rush also directed me toward collecting foreign silver coins that circulated in California as US coins weren't as often seen in San Francisco, Sacramento and the gold camps.

 

Since it shows Series of 1870, I would assume it was issued in that year or soon after that. The National Gold Banks were all located in California and were the only National Banks that were required to redeem their notes in gold coin.

 

 

I reckon I'll have to satisfy myself with a color photocopy of said note as I don't think I'll ever sink serious coin into buying paper.

 

BTW, my interest in circulating money in troubled times of our country even has me contemplating buying [gasp].. stamps!

[michael]

a little with obsolete notes from my "town"

 

[AegisIII]

As someone who likes error coins, it is not too surprising that I also like to some extent error paper.

 

 

 

[tejas1836]

I've started reading the chapters on paper currency in David Bower's book on collecting & investing.

 

I doubt I'll start a collection of paper currency but I might buy a few pieces someday.