WHAT'S NEW

Pasquale

My interest in collecting U.S. and foreign banknotes started when I was in grade school. My uncle, who had been collecting coins and baseball cards for over 20 years, gave me a set of coins and a coin booklet for Christmas.

Although I did collect coins for a few years, his attempt in igniting a passion in numismatics eventually failed and I gradually lost interest in finding rare coins.

However, while in college, a friend showed me a confederate banknote, which at the time I thought was the coolest thing I had ever seen. That experience combined with a backpacking trip through Europe did spark a casual interest in collecting banknotes. But my hobby was more of a novelty and I would simply ask friends or relatives to bring back a banknote whenever they traveled to a foreign country.

It wasn’t until about two years ago when I discovered that Ebay offered numerous auctions for old U.S. banknotes and foreign currencies turning my novelty into an obsession.

But after about a year of intense bidding and researching I’ve finally taken my mother’s advice and have “stopped wasting so much money on all that money!”

1928 $1000 U.S. banknote One of the last banknotes I’ve purchased. I had wanted to buy a $1,000 note for awhile simply because of an egotistical desire to impress friends with the large banknote. I finally found a note in “fine” condition that seemed like a reasonable deal and immediately bought it.

.

.

.

1934A $500 U.S. banknote My reasons for buying this note are similar to the reasons for getting the previous note, but $500 notes are not as rare or expensive as $1,000 notes. By the way, the only other notes of higher value are $5,000 and $10,000 notes. 1934 was the last year that notes above $100 were mass produced and 1969 was the last year that they were made.

.

.

.

1928 $20 Gold Certificate note In 1933, the Treasury department issued an order forbidding the holding of gold certificates and all notes were ordered destroyed. This issue was rescinded in 1964, but as a result of the 1933 order, gold certificates have become difficult to find.

.

.

.

1950B $50 star note Star notes were first printed in 1910 to replace notes that were misprinted, smudged, torn, etc. These notes would have the second letter of the serial number replaced with a star. This particular note was the first 1950B $50 note printed in New York City as a star note. Something that is extremely difficult to find.

.

.

.

1899 $1 Silver Certificate note This is the very first note I purchased on Ebay and the only large-size U.S. note I own. In fact, I didn’t even realize it was a large-size note when I bid on and won the auction, which was simply a result of my inexperience in banknotes.

.

.

.

1960 10 peso note from Cuba The first series of notes printed under the Castro regime. I especially like the irony of the “American Bank note company” being on the bottom center of the note.

.

.

.

1993 10,000 Afghani note Another beautiful note and one with obvious geopolitical value and appeal, at least for me.

.

.

.

1959 North Korean 50 won note. A beautifully designed large-size note in uncirculated condition with obvious historical and political value.

.

.

.

1962 Laos 10 kip note An unusual design and a country I know little about, but I am very interested in learning more.

.

.

.

1972 1000 Swiss franc note

The 1000 Swiss franc note is considered the most valuable mass circulated note in the world. The design for the note has been changed twice since 1972, but I find this series to be the most attractive design.