Banknote Detective Work - Research

[MMMM]

When you are going to buy a banknote, where do you research to see if the banknote has a history? How would you advise someone on how to buy a banknote. What is your method of buying a note?

[Dave]

If asking about an individual notes history of being sold cleaned, altered, etc., I am not too up on this detective work, but I have seen others report them. They notice that a note sold at one auction is the same selling at another auction for more and in better condition, but the same serial number. The serial number is of course the key here. You would have to match that – or match other indicators such as paper placement, tears, etc.

 

Checking sites such as Ebay, Heritage, Bowers and Morena, and others are all good. Internet searches with the notes serial number will sometimes give a good hit, but as this is relatively new in the reporting stage, it might not be available. You’ll likely have to search many listings to see what’s up. One thing I’ve noticed is that the notes that have been reported have been bought, cleaned, and offered for sale within just a few weeks time. There isn’t much of a holding time on them it seems. To me the main problem seems to be that most people don't seem to list the serial numbers on the auctions/sales information. If reputable people start listing them, then later on you might be able to search the seral number and have an easier time. In the meantime, asking here, on other boards, the IBNS, LANSA, etc. as well as the sales and auction sites will likely be your best bet.

[thedeadpoint]

To me the main problem seems to be that most people don't seem to list the serial numbers on the auctions/sales information.

 

That's probably a big reason why I've never concerned myself with writing down serial #s. The notes I'm looking for (while being counterfeit worthy) aren't rare. Therefore, IF I see one at a show, there are many serial numbers that it could be and it'd be impossible to verify ahead of time.

[Saor Alba]

Heritage has a wonderful source of information on everything they have sold or handled the last few years - which has occasioned to have caught several "note doctors" when the notes show up in that online fleaMarket - if you were to look at fleaMarket today you would find literally dozens of "improved" notes.

 

Otherwise in researching history of notes, pedigrees are something note quite so common with notes until more recent ie the last twenty years - frankly few people collected paper money back in the day. I have numerous pedigreed coins, but off the top of my head I have one pedigreed note with a famous previous owner - in this case Chester Krause of Krause publications once owned my 1901 LT $10.

[MMMM]

Maybe someday someone will create a banknote pedigree system. A banknote registration. Maybe the IBNS.