Collectable Banknotes for Collectors
Notaphily the collecting hobby for IBNS members and
readers of Pick catalog.
Banknote
Papiergeld and Billets de Banque and British Commonwealth
currencies.
Bank
Paper Money Bourse for dealers and beginners.
Notes
Collectable Papermoney shows international collecting
societies, Paiergeld and Billets de Banque and British Commonwealth
currencies.
World
Collectible financial ephemera
AAnotes
A. Ackroyd I.B.N.S member dealing in collectable banknotes
for collectors cheap checks, cheques, postal orders, bank drafts and promissory
notes, wholesale and retail.
Collectable
Collectable Old American paper money collectibles and
error notes such as Silver Certificates, Gold Certificates, Military
issues.
Paper
Allied Military Currency, Federal Reserve Notes, Japanese
Occupation, Jim notes, skit notes and scrip.
Money
Sex, drugs and rock and roll. Foreign and also national
paper money is highly collectable.
Hobby
A. Ackroyd I.B.N.S member dealing in collectable banknotes
for collectors cheap checks, cheques, postal orders, bank drafts and promissory
notes, wholesale and retail. Pamela Anderson, Federal Reserve Notes, Foreign
currency and national paper money is highly collectabl
Ackroyd
Collecting old banknotes and cheques is a thriving
hobby. Dealers sell bank notes and checks.
Papermoney Dealer
Dealers sell bank notes and checks. books incluse
Krause Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, United StatesPaper Money, Engt
a banknote's value at our message board
Collecting Check
Foreign and national paper money is highly collectable.
Collecting these old banknotes and cheques is a good investment.
Cheque, Sales
Investors are buying rare and scarce banknotes for
their growth potential.
issues, Catalog, Books
We supply books and accessories for the collector
of cheques and paper money.
Out books incluse Krause Standard Catalog of World
Paper Money, United StatesPaper Money, English Paper Money, 20th Century
Scottish Banknotes and many others.
Tips on Collecting Bank Notes and Paper Money
20th Century Scottish Banknotes and many others. Lots
of reference material for the collector. We also enable you to find out the
value of your old bills and currency notes with our online services. Ask
abouper Money
Lots of reference material for the collector.Collecting
old banknotes and cheques is a thriving hobby. Dealers sell bank notes and
checks. Foreign and national paper money is highly collectable. Investors
are buying rare and scarce banknotes for their growth potential. We supply
books and accessories for the collector of cheques and paper money. Out books
incluse Krause Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, United States Paper
Money, Engt a banknote's value at our message board. Notaphily is a growing
hobby. The International Bank Note Society has been established since the
1960s. It has members world wide.
Old Canadian Dollar Bill Values
We also enable you to find out the value of your old
bills and currency notes with our online services.
USA Collecting Banknotes
Ask about a banknote's value at our message board.
Notaphily is a growing hobby.
Values
The International Bank Note Society has been established
since the 1960s. It has members world wide.
Occupation Military
Collectable banknotes and checks or cheques and books
about notaphily.
Valuation, Notaphily
Information about collecting societies.
Old Notgeld
Dealers lists of papermoney for sale including notgeld,
occupation money, P.O.W. camp currency.
Currency
Old American printing error bills and notes printed
by ABNC, Bradbury Wilinson, Thomas De La Rue or Waterlow and Sons are valuable
collectibles
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Notaphily for Fun, Profit, and Enlightenment
This introduction reveals the basics of paper money
collecting, including:
* the hobby's attractions
* why it is growing in popularity
* the fundamentals of paper currency collecting
* how surprisingly inexpensive it can be
* housing and displaying your collection
What are the attractions of collecting paper
money?
This exciting hobby - known by some as notaphily
- is growing in popularity for many reasons. For one thing it's becoming
increasingly easy to find interesting and attractive banknotes from around
the world - notes with considerable historical, cultural and visual appeal
- and often for only a few cents each. A banknote collection can be a fine
investment. Many notes have been growing dramatically in value in recent
years. The hobby is a great educator. Besides notaphilic concerns, it has
something to teach everyone about foreign cultures, history, economics -
and plenty more. As communications technology brings the global village ever
closer, it becomes ever more advantageous to have a rich knowledge of foreign
affairs and cultures. It's amazing how much knowledge of this kind you naturally
absorb while enjoying this hobby. Above all, people like banknotes for their
visual appeal. A papermoney collection is an art collection of the highest
order. Banknotes are perhaps the finest pieces of printing and graphic design
to be found anywhere. An incredible amount of work and thought goes
into their design, by artists and engravers of exceptional skill. The design
and manufacturing process is a field of study in itself. Some of the methods
used are kept secret, to make forgery more difficult. A well-presented collection
of historic world banknotes and/or checks makes a conversation piece that
arouses the curiosity and admiration of all.
As collector's items, banknotes have some important
advantages over stamps and coins. For one thing, they have a much larger
surface area, making them a better vehicle for interesting information and
attractive artwork. Compared to a coin, a banknote is extremely lightweight
and thin, making a large collection easier to store and transport. Over the
postage stamp, the banknote has the advantage of having two sides, and again,
a much larger surface area. Generally, they are also less prone to
forgery.
Banknote enthusiasts enjoy individualist status because
the hobby is regarded as intriguingly different. It has a certain prestige
attached to it; people tend to assume that a banknote collector must be wealthy
- although this is often far from true. The hobby also has a refreshing dignity
to it. The banknote collecting fraternity is basically an honest, friendly,
community, with the genial camaraderie born of a common interest.
Notaphily is still much less widespread than stamp and
coin collecting, although the gap is narrowing. Now there are numerous paper
money collecting societies, world-wide, and a wide choice of
books on the subject. Many stamp and coin collectors
are turning to currency collecting as the promising new collecting frontier.
In paper money they discover a renewed thrill at finding the elusive item
to fill a gap in a series or a set. They experience anew, the reverence one
feels about owning something that has been preserved in perfect condition
for a hundred years. There is the same satisfaction of travelling to a
collector's fair to hunt down bargains and meet fellow enthusiasts and develop
one's knowledge.
The cost of collecting paper money
The ever-growing availability of cheap and varied material
from around the world has already brought the hobby well within reach of
even those on the tightest budget. This is one collecting field where prices
are actually falling in many areas, mainly where new issues are concerned.
For this, we can thank the effects of inflation. In comparison to the United
Kingdom, many countries have steep inflation rates, making their currency
sink in value in relation to our own. Thus, their currency notes become ever
cheaper for us. Some typical cases from recent years include Brazil, Peru,
Argentina, Russia, Mexico, Zaire, Iraq, Yugoslavia and Turkey. In fact, we
can even obtain notes with denominations of 50,000,000,000 or more for a
dollar or two! Another exciting source of very cheap notes has recently emerged:
the new ex-Soviet republics. Here is an opportunity to obtain the very first
issues of several new republics for mere pennies. One can only imagine the
value these first issues will have to collectors in future years.
For under $1 each, you can obtain some beautiful, older
notes from earlier this century - the golden age of banknote design. Germany
and Hungary for example, both suffered runaway inflation in the first half
of this century, rendering their banknotes less valuable than the paper they
were printed on in some cases. Nevertheless, they were wonderful examples
of the engraver's art. Even notes from the early 1700's can still be bought
for well under $20 - the Assignat notes of the French Revolution, for
example.
Conversely, serious collectors world-wide, pay large
sums of money for single rare notes. Sometimes this will be to fill a gap
in a valuable collection. Sometimes it will be for investment. Sometimes
it will be with a view to passing the item on to a fellow collector or dealer
- for an even higher price. Collectable banknotes are one field where real
bargains and quick profits can be made - if you know what to look for. Experience
will soon teach you this. It's a good idea to obtain a comprehensive and
up-to-date value-guide pertaining to the type of paper money you collect.
For a general guid, the most comprehensive publication is the Standard Catalog
of World Paper money, which comes in three volumes. The volume you pick will
depend on your area of interst. This great work gives valuations for each
of the many thousands of banknotes issued world-wide since the dawn of paper
money history. For each note, it gives two or three appraisals, corresponding
to various grades of condition. For more information, or to order, go to
our books for sale page.
A theme for your papermoney collection
A banknote collection is an expression of its owner's
personal tastes and interests. There are no set rules regarding collecting
themes; you can be as individualistic as you like. Some collectors specialize
in notes from one country only - often their own. Some collect from groups
of countries; British Commonwealth, Europe, or Africa, for example. Others
collect notes from one period in history - WW2 for example. Others collect
notes with some rare peculiarity, like those with printer's errors. Some
collect forgeries. The scope is limited only by your imagination. Many collectors
start out just buying anything that happens to appeal. Then as the years
pass, they often tend to become more specialised. A specialised collection
has a unique value and appeal. It can often be sold for more than the combined
values of its individual components. However, the pitfall of becoming too
specialised is that suitable material will be harder to find and often much
more expensive. But why not compile a specialised collection while simultaneously
building a more general, free-style one?
The profit potential of notaphily
The potential of historic paper money as an alternative
investment has been evident over the years. Some items have seen a growth
in value of 10,000% since the end of the last war! American Confederate States
notes and other 19th Century US bills for example, could then be bought for
about 25c each in the USA. Now, they are hard to find for 100 times that
amount. Even the indiscriminate collector can expect profit in the long-run,
for most collectable banknotes tend to rise in value. Scarcity, and demand,
are the factors which govern value, and banknotes are only produced in limited
numbers. After production of each note ceases, it can only become increasingly
scarce.
Sometimes banknotes soar in value due to historic events.
For example: Hong Kong notes have been selling for double or triple the book
value since 1997, due to the Chinese take-over. Many collectors were easily
able to predict this in advance, and many took a successful gamble and bought
up every Hong Kong note they could find. Let's face it, a 300% profit in
twelve months is far better than any stock market investor can hope for.
Remember the recent volcano in Monserrat? One month, Monserrat notes were
just as desirable as any other East Caribbean State banknote. As soon as
the volcano rendered the island uninhabitable, the shrewd dealers of the
world bought every Monserrat note they could find, knowing that it was unlikely
that any more would be printed.
If a banknote collector suffers less fortunate circumstances,
he has a valuable nest egg in store, which he can sell at one of the specialist
collectors' auctions - often at a good profit. Many collections, however,
are passed on, to a son, a daughter or a grandchild. The banknote collection
makes a great family heirloom, for besides being a thing if monetary value,
it is a gold-mine of fascination and discovery, while at the same time conveying
something of the spirit of the compiler. Every collection reflects something
of the compiler's personality.
Where to obtain collectable paper money
Many people become interested in paper money after building
a small collection of surplus notes left over from holidays and business
trips abroad. Apart from this obvious source, old banknotes often turn up
in antique shops, street markets, car boot sales, etc. Occasionally you'll
hear of a friend who has discovered a small bundle of notes in his attic,
or an odd note in a book, placed there for safekeeping years ago, then
forgotten.
Most collectors, however, sooner or later start looking
for a specialist banknote dealer. When selecting a dealer, your interests
will be best protected if you select one who belongs to the International
Bank Note Society (IBNS). This organisation has stringent rules and regulations
and a strict code of ethics. Any member who breaks these can be expelled
or penalised. If you ever have a grievance with one of them, you have a reputable
organisation to seek redress with. Apart from that, you will want to consider
such factors as the following:-
a) their prices
b) the accuracy of their grading (see the topic 'How
important is the condition of a note')
c) the frequency of their price lists.
d) the variety of notes offered
e) their general friendliness and helpfulness
f) whether their lists include descriptions and
illustrations
g) how long it takes them to dispatch your orders.
How to get value for money when buying collectable
banknotes
Most well established dealers are more or less familiar
with current market values, although their prices may vary a little. If you
want to check that you are getting value for money, you will need a comprehensive
reference book. The best of these is the Standard Catalogue of World Paper
Money. This publication comes in three volumes. Volume Two is the main volume,
dealing with national banknotes. Volume One is devoted to specialised issues
(notes from private banks, regional note, etc.) Volume three is devoted to
modern issues only and is updated more regularly than the other two, to keep
pace with all the new notes that are issued. Together, the three volumes
list each of the 50,000 or so notes ever produced, along with illustrations
and the current market values in each of three grades of condition. It should
be noted, however, that no catalogue can be completely reliable as a guide
to values. Values can change very quickly, especially when such factors as
inflation are present. Nevertheless, the overall tendency is for banknotes
to rise in value in the long run.
How important is the condition of a bank note?
The conditions of a note will affect its value dramatically.
You should therefore familiarise yourself with the standard gradings of
condition. Basically, they are as follows:-
'UNC' = 'Uncirculated' (perfect mint condition)
'EF' = 'Extremely Fine' (almost perfect - a single crease
perhaps)
'VF' = 'Very Fine' (a few creases and folds, but no tears.
Still fairly crisp.)
'F' = 'Fine' (well used - edge tears, discoloration,
etc. Crispness may have gone.)
'VG' = 'Very Good' (well worn, with tears, dirt, pinholes,
etc. Probably somewhat limp.)
'G' = 'Good' (limp, small pieces missing, very dirty,
graffiti, etc.)
It is now common practice to use the letter 'A' prefixing
these grades when the note described is 'almost' up to the indicated grade.
For example an 'AUNC' or 'AU' note is almost uncirculated. In other words,
it is almost perfect, with only the slightest fault, such as a bend, a very
slight discoloration of the paper, or a tiny edge nick for example. However,
it is too good to be classed as EF or EF+.
The same strict grading standards apply, regardless of
a note's age. Some dealers wrongly think that very old notes are allowed
a little flexibility of grading and will make such misguided statements as
"It's EF, considering its age". This is misleading; an UNC note has to be
the same as it was when if left the printing press, whether it is 100 days
old or 100 years old. Usually, an UNC note is worth at least twice as much
as it would be in VF. This is because UNC examples are almost always harder
to obtain than well-circulated ones. Unless your budget is unlimited, you
will therefore have to make a choice between quantity and quality of condition
at some stage.
Housing and displaying your collections
* Use low-slip, inert album leaves, free from
banknote-harming solvents. (Multi-Master leaves are excellent value.)
* Keep your collection away from radiant heat, moisture
and sunlight, in a safe place.
* Keep it neat and uncluttered. If you have two or three
notes on one page, centralise each exactly, for best effect.
* Interleaves between pages add effect, helping the viewer
focus on each page in turn.
* Annotating your collection adds meaning, interest and
value. Write or type your captions as neatly as you possibly can. If doing
it by hand, a good quality black pen should be considered. Avoid blue biro!
Centralise your text below the note. Include as many interesting facts as
you like - it all adds interest - especially for those who are unfamiliar
with the hobby. It will also serve to remind you later of the special features
of each note.
* Try to find labels that you can peel off your leaves
without leaving a trace. Shop around; they do exist!
* Organise your notes into logical groups, perhaps by
country or in time sequence. It makes a better conversation-piece that
way.
* Consider including complementary items to add spice
to your collections. Relevant newspaper cuttings, photos of issuing banks,
and other forms of paper money, like promissory notes, cheques and travellers
cheques, all add interest and value to your collection.
* If you know in advance that someone will be viewing
your collection, take time in advance, to go over it with a critical, objective
eye, repositioning items where necessary.
* Allow your viewer a chance to become absorbed. Although
you will be keen to convey your own points of interest, remember, a thing
of beauty can only best be fully appreciated in moments of undivided attention.
When your viewer makes some comment reflecting his or her own points of interest,
use that as a cue, and respond with some of your own interesting observations
and anecdotes. Remember: some people tend to lose interest in anything that
is pushed upon them too eagerly. Others, will be positively influenced by
your enthusiasm. Remember that your banknote collection is a rare and important
historical archive.
* Don't be disheartened if your viewer does not seem
to appreciate the beauty and fascination of banknotes. Most people do, but
the hobby is not for everyone! That's why it's a good idea to include some
items of almost universal interest. For example: WW2 items, 19th century
items, British Commonwealth, hyper-inflation notes, and anything particularly
scarce, unusual, exotic, and visually striking.
About AAnotes.com and its founder, A.Ackroyd
A.Anotes.com is one of the world's busiest suppliers of
collectors' paper money. First started dealing in paper money full-time,
in 1989 Pioneered the very first collectors' paper money website, back in
the dawn of the WWW when it was a dreary, grey place inhabited almost entirely
by academic essays, and the only browser around was a crude device called Mosaic.
In those days, if you did a search for "paper money collecting", A.Ackroyd's
for "collectable banknotes" or suchlike, the A.Ackroyd collectors' paper
site was the only site that would come up.
Now based in the United Kingdom, with close affiliations in North America, supplying papermoney
collectors world-wide. This is an IBNS member, committed to fair and ethical
trading and to maintaining the most competitive prices. A continuous effort is made to offer
an ever-changing supply of fresh and exciting material, each item being
personally selected for its worthiness as a collector's item. The monthly
lists are especially popular, because, aside from the richness of the content,
each item is described individually. That makes it possible to search for
items fitting your requirements. A.ACKROYD wishes you years of fun,
satisfaction and intrigue through this great hobby. Please click on the button
below to explore this site.
For more information on notaphily
For more information and guidelines on collecting world
paper currency and other forms of collectable paper money, we offer a wide
rage of books on the subject. Please click the "Contents" link below, to
explore the A. Ackroyd Collectors' Paper Money Site in more depth...
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© International copyright 2002 A. ACKROYD
This page originates from: www.aanotes.com
A. ACKROYD is a longstanding I.B.N.S. member
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