Johnny 1989 Posted September 16, 2008 Report Share Posted September 16, 2008 As people know on here I normally go for bank notes with Lizzy (QEII) or any of the previous monarchs on them. However I have sort of gained an interest in US Banknotes. Thing is on eBay UK there is bugger all on there & on the US one I find it rather confusing as amongst the search you get notes with a buy it now price of $2,000,000 (WTF!!!!) So I was just wondering if anyone can help me with a guide as to what to look out for & what not to pay. I notice that the cheapest a Gold Certificate note seems to go for is $100+ but haven't a clue if that's right. Even in my usual coin/banknote shop they don't seem to have much of a variety at all. So I'm wonderign if there's any point at all? Any help greatly appreciated, I just don't want to pay "over the odds" for the notes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Yeah, well compared to US coins, US notes are CHEAP! That price doesn't sound bad. The thing about US notes is that signatures and federal reserve bank designations can make notes worth more than eachother Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 1989 Posted September 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Yeah, well compared to US coins, US notes are CHEAP! That price doesn't sound bad. The thing about US notes is that signatures and federal reserve bank designations can make notes worth more than eachother Ah I see, I did wonder why they varied so much. Thanks for the Info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Ah I see, I did wonder why they varied so much. Thanks for the Info Haha. I never quite completed my post. I was tired at the time and just hit "post" because I didn't want to type anymore. I'll have to update it later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
De Orc Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Have a look on ebay for the 'Blackbook' a official pocket size guide book to US banknotes, it is full of very interesting info and if you need a list of the signatories just PM me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 17, 2008 Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Here's a nice site that will help you out with some serial numbers, signatures, etc. http://www.uspapermoney.info/ But the best bet is to buy the black book adn see what is in there. Also - don't be in too much of a hurry, look and study the prices on Ebay. Find what you want and study completed auctions, see what they are going for in auctions versus Buy It Now's and then correlate that with your catalogues. But keep in mind the catalogues are not the 'official' prices. And as always, if you have a question, post it here - this place is full of great people who can answer your questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 1989 Posted September 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2008 Thank you for you advice everyone. One thing I'm certainly doing is taking my time to buy them. I have been looking at several "Buy It Nows" for the North Africa/Hawaii notes for example & although they're not too bad in price once translated into £££'s I'd rather not rush out a pay over the odds for them. I shall hunt out that book, it'll certainly be useful, the British Banknote alternative certainly was. When I saw the prices in a coin/banknote shop in Central London (not my regular one) for an Uncirculated Sir Christopher Wren £50 not I saw prices of £150 and thought they were takign the p*ss, however having had the book I did find out that although they were slightly overpriced they were £135 Again thanks for all the info, I shall hunt out that book & when I get payed next month I shall carefully purchase some Also De Orc thanks, I shall contact you when the time comes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtryka Posted September 18, 2008 Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 You might also use Heritage's currency auction site, if you sign up for a free id you can access their permanent auction archives which will give you access to nice photos, prices realized and access to notes you probably never knew existed! The website is currency.ha.com And don't hesitate to post specific questions here as there are many collectors glad to help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
De Orc Posted September 18, 2008 Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 Not a problem, I am only on the other side of the river to you LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 1989 Posted September 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 You might also use Heritage's currency auction site, if you sign up for a free id you can access their permanent auction archives which will give you access to nice photos, prices realized and access to notes you probably never knew existed! The website is currency.ha.com And don't hesitate to post specific questions here as there are many collectors glad to help! Thanks for that link & info Not a problem, I am only on the other side of the river to you LOL South of the River, ooh, that's dodgy down there isn't it Well I purchased the "Blackbook" as advised, the new 2009 edition, and hopefully that'll turn up by Saturday, I wasn't paying double the price of the book for a "speedy delivery" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
De Orc Posted September 18, 2008 Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 Hope that you enjoy it, I thought it was a good read and nah we is civilised over here we even have a McD's LOL I use to live over in Walthamstow now that was real doddgy LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 1989 Posted September 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 Hope that you enjoy it, I thought it was a good read and nah we is civilised over here we even have a McD's LOL I use to live over in Walthamstow now that was real doddgy LOL True, Seven Sisters is a rough dive (well it's near Walthamstow isn't it ) Talking of McD's, I was in Prague a few weeks back & they had them every 500-800 meters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
De Orc Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 Did you manage to get any coins or banknotes????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 1989 Posted September 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 Did you manage to get any coins or banknotes????? Yeah all of the coins except the 50Kr. Also the 50Kr & 100Kr banknote, as can be seen on my Banknote Bank page BTW got me first "classic" US note, the Small Sized Series 1928A $1 Banknote with the different back, not yet added to my banknote bank collection as I'm not sure what grade to put it as, what grade would you ladies & gents say it was?: Have to say I really like this reverse, probably because it's so unusual Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedeadpoint Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 How crisp is it? Are there folds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 1989 Posted September 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 How crisp is it? Are there folds? A few creases, one along the middle on both axis & two more vertical creams, although more likely folds. one through the middle of ONE one through the seal, none of them are particulary deep, portrait nearly perfect, save for two mean creases which are light. I judge it VF or XF but I'm not sure TBH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
De Orc Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 Nice looking note Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtryka Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 By the photos it looks VF to me, but it's almost impossible to grade paper from photos! Nice addition by the way, congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiho Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 A few creases, one along the middle on both axis & two more vertical creams, although more likely folds. one through the middle of ONE one through the seal, none of them are particulary deep, portrait nearly perfect, save for two mean creases which are light. I judge it VF or XF but I'm not sure TBH Very nice note, every collector should own one. I would call this VF+ or XF if the paper is still crisp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 1989 Posted September 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 Nice looking note Thanks, I like it's rather early 20th century design By the photos it looks VF to me, but it's almost impossible to grade paper from photos! Nice addition by the way, congrats! Very nice note, every collector should own one. I would call this VF+ or XF if the paper is still crisp. Thanks to you both, the paper is fairly crisp, probably been in a dozen hands but then took out of circulation & kept (as I understand people did horde them for a while) Well my "blackbook" turned up today first off I was shocked by how thick it was, compared to the English Banknote catalogue it's about 8 times thicker, secondly the amount of different designs that I wasn't even aware of & thirdly the price of some of them Time for me to save up me thinks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtryka Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 I told you that you'd be surprised at the number of designs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 1989 Posted September 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 I told you that you'd be surprised at the number of designs! Yeah, you were right, shame they didn't have pics of the $5000 > notes but to be fair I could never afford one, I noticed there was quite a few copies of the higher up ones but they're on two separate sheets of paper Anyway I plan to get some silver certs (large & small), hawaii/north african & the $2 with the red seal & completely different back for a start Just purchased a Series 1988 $5 (of which the one I have has a red pen mark & is creased to hell) & new style $20, nothing spectacular but adds to my tiny collection, plus I can't really afford to get the dearer ones until pay day so the cheaper ones it is. Also have one of those new $5 notes on its way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 1989 Posted September 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 One other question, why haven't the $1 & $2 designs been updated? Are the $1 coins doing that well, if not then why don't they update these two notes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtryka Posted September 20, 2008 Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 The simple reason is that neither redesign would be cost justified. The $2 note rarely circulates, so counterfeiting them would raise all sorts of red flags (there are even amusing stories of people calling police for customers trying to spend genuine $2 notes!). The $1 note is the same, it's not worth the couterfeiters' effort to make fake $1 notes (and yes, they are the primary circulating $1 currency as no one likes to receive or spend the $1 coins). Also, since neither note has a security thread, it's not easy to bleach them to make higher denominations with genuine paper. This was why the $5 note was redesigned, since the thread and watermark were almost the same as the $100 note (also not colorized yet), so counterfeiters were bleaching genuine $5s and printing $100s on them. My guess is you'll never see a redesign of the $2, and the $1 will be eliminated before it's redesigned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny 1989 Posted September 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2008 The simple reason is that neither redesign would be cost justified. The $2 note rarely circulates, so counterfeiting them would raise all sorts of red flags (there are even amusing stories of people calling police for customers trying to spend genuine $2 notes!). The $1 note is the same, it's not worth the couterfeiters' effort to make fake $1 notes (and yes, they are the primary circulating $1 currency as no one likes to receive or spend the $1 coins). Also, since neither note has a security thread, it's not easy to bleach them to make higher denominations with genuine paper. This was why the $5 note was redesigned, since the thread and watermark were almost the same as the $100 note (also not colorized yet), so counterfeiters were bleaching genuine $5s and printing $100s on them. My guess is you'll never see a redesign of the $2, and the $1 will be eliminated before it's redesigned. Fair enough although they do look like the odd ones out compared to the others, if I understand correctly they don't withdraw old designs from circulation in the US do they? Having said that about odd ones out however, in the UK we currently have Series E (£50), Series E Revision (£5, £10 & £20) and Series F (£20) all circulating at the same time at present. The Series F £20 has been out since 2006 so it's quite suprising to still see the 1999 Series E Revision £20 still circulating & also that the new Series F £50 or £10 out yet, the £50 missed the Series E revision altogether Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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