Innehållsförteckning för April 2019 från Banknote Reporter

A major treat awaits collectors of world paper come mid-April. The contents of four major collections provide the focus of Spink London’s Apr. 17-18 sale. Leading the charge is yet another tranche from the remarkable Ibrahim Salem Collection. This time around, Part I of his holdings of the British Commonwealth is on offer. This segment of the sale will occupy the entire morning of Apr. 17 commencing at 10 a.m. It has its own catalog. One note stands out here. How do low serial number collectors feel about a Bermuda George VI £5 carrying serial A000001 (P-12)? This is the brown issue, by the way, not the orange. It comes in PMG-58 Choice About Unc with an estimate of £40,000-60,000 [1GBP = 1.3USD]. And that’s just for starters. The auction…

Lee Lofthus was surprised and delighted to win this gorgeous note in the 2018 Heritage FUN sale from a small unincorporated hamlet within Roxbury Township on the west edge of the Catskill Mountains in New York state. Grand Gorge is situated in a wide gentle valley through which Bear Kill flows southward toward its junction with the East Branch of the Delaware River. The town was named for the Grand Gorge Rail Station, which in turn was named for a 40-foot or so deep railroad cut through a nearby hill along what became the Ulster & Delaware Railroad. The railroad advertised itself as “The only all-rail route to the Catskill Mountains.” Originating as the Rondout and Oswego Railroad, the railroad reached Grand Gorge in 1872. At that time, steamboat passengers…

On March 12, Whitman Publishing debuted the second edition of Robert D. Leonard Jr.’s Curious Currency: The Story of Money from the Stone Age to the Internet Age. This book spans through the years, detailing the different currencies used. Leonard comments how “money isn’t limited to coins and paper. It includes a wide range of so-called primitive or traditional currency…” As well-known numismatic scholar Q. David Bowers illustrates, many numismatists know about “silver dollars, Gold Certificates, colonial coins, and ancient decadrachms…” This book, however, delves into the less traditional methods of currency, informing numismatists that this is money like they’ve “never seen it before.” Some of the examples Leonard mentions are woodpecker scalps, ostrich shells, playing cards, and iron nails. This new book also includes modern versions of currency such…

Note: This article is part of a series updating my 1974 publication cataloging the emergency and guerrilla currency of the Philippines during World War II. Mindanao is the second largest island of the Philippines, located in the southern part of the country, with an area of 36,292 square miles. Currently, there are 25 provinces on the island. A number of those provinces issued their own currencies, which are cataloged under their respective names. The main Mindanao issues were for circulation over the entire area. Two distinct types of issues were produced for use on Mindanao. The first, undated, was made in 1942. The second consists of an extensive and continual printing of similarly styled notes at various locations, which are shown with their respective issues. The dates include: 1943, 1944…

Some years back, I had the opportunity to visit central Massachusetts, and I thought it might be nice to take a short jaunt to New England for its very antique small town architecture. To that end, this month we’ll visit quaint and historic Northampton, Mass. Northampton is the seat of west central Massachusetts’ Hampshire County, located 20 miles north of Springfield just off I-91. This is a very old manufacturing area, though today the area is home to quite a few colleges and universities, including Smith College in Northampton. I was visiting a friend at Amherst College last spring, and we spent a sunny afternoon in Northampton, a lovely and vibrant town chock full of classic old buildings. Northampton, as well as most other towns in the area, is very…

Shown is a $50 Series of 1869 Treasury Note proof (top) of a design in the rainbow series that was not used. Instead, the adopted design (Fr.151) features the portrait of Henry Clay (bottom). The rainbow notes replaced the 1862/3 designs that were the target of counterfeiters. On page 35 of Gene Hesslers’ ‘Essay, Proof and Specimen,’ there is a photo of a die proof of the unissued design and an illustration of a back that probably was going to be mated to it. What is unusual is that there is a 4-subject proof of the unissued design from a production plate among the BEP proofs in the Smithsonian, revealing that the design had advanced to the production phase before being supplanted. The 4-subject proof sports plate letters and plate…

This month’s prices continue to be mixed, with some up and a few more down. Federal National Bank Notes continue to mystify me, as this month they seemed to be bargains, but who knows how they will do at the next auction. If you like these notes, be sure to monitor internet-only auctions, as they are more overlooked in that venue. Mid-grade Buffalo and Indian Chief notes seemed a bit stronger, and small size Federal Reserve notes seemed a bit stronger as well. Small FRNs are another group that can be bargains on internet-only sales. Small size Red and Blue seal notes are a bit weaker, although the rarities are holding up well. Silver Certificates, especially, seem to be bargains for star notes in the 1928 and 1935 groups. This…

According to author Donald H. Kagin, this new publication is “the first reference work covering the complete accounting of the first circulating currency of the United States.” The 52-page book details America’s “struggle to finance the War of 1812 against Great Britain.” From the proponents of paper currency’s victory over political opposition to the new nation’s first currency, this book’s narrative is supported with tables, references, citations, and more. Further details about the 250 limited edition hardbound books may be obtained via email from info@Kagins.com or by calling 888-852-4467.…

For complete show listings visit NumisMaster.com The BNR show calendar listings are restricted to those shows which have a specific paper money focus or which are large enough so that a significant number of tables of interest to currency collectors might be expected. Abbreviations used include, A: admission charge, if any; T: number of tables, ( ): number of numismatic-related tables at a multi-hobby show; n/a: information not available. ARIZONA Apr 14 AZ, Chandler. Camelback Collectibles Coin, Stamp, & Collectible Show. American Legion Post 35, 2240 W Chandler Blvd. SH: 8am - 2pm. A: Free. T: 40. Bill Jernigan, 6750 E Main Street Suite 105, Mesa, AZ, 85205. PH: 480- 227-3604 or xaviercoins.bill@gmail.com or camelbackcollectables.com . Apr 20 AZ, Phoenix. Northwest Valley Coin, Card & Stamp Show. LaQuinta Inn, 2510…

ONE DOLLAR TWO DOLLARS FIVE DOLLARS TEN DOLLARS TWENTY DOLLARS FIFTY DOLLARS ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ONE DOLLAR TWO DOLLARS FIVE DOLLARS TEN DOLLARS TWENTY DOLLARS FIFTY DOLLARS ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS FIRST ISSUE "POSTAGE CURRENCY" SECOND ISSUE THIRD ISSUE FOURTH ISSUE FIFTH ISSUE, SERIES OF 1874/1875 PROOFS AND SPECIMENS FIRST ISSUE “POSTAGE CURRENCY” SECOND ISSUE THIRD ISSUE…

The results are in from the Spring 2019 Baltimore Stack’s Bowers auction, and the large size notes demanded collectors’ attention. This was especially true of Lot 4037, which was the “only privately held 1891 $1000 ‘Marcy’ Silver Certificate.” Known as “The King of Silver Certificates,” it was PCGS graded VF25. The initial estimate for the lot was $2-3 million. While it fell short of that estimate, it still cost a pretty penny at $1.92 million. This note is known as the “Marcy Note” because of the portrait of William L. Marcy that appears at right on the note. It was a featured item of the Joel R. Anderson Collection. According to Stack’s Bowers, the piece once set the world record in 2013 for the highest price ever paid for paper…