Innehållsförteckning för November 2025 från Banknote Reporter

This past month, we added another 200 bank notes to NumisMaster, bringing the number of updated countries to 250. The new additions include issues from Hong Kong, Iraq, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Thailand, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lao, Lebanon, and Mauritania. A list of completed countries for the month can be found on the Paper Money front page at NumisMaster.com. While you are viewing these updates, if you happen across any notes that do not have an image and you have a photograph to share, please email n@aimmedia.com, and we will happily add the image. We have received a few emails asking if a subscription to Bank Note Reporter comes with a free subscription to NumisMaster. Unfortunately, a subscription to Bank Note Reporter does not include specialized access to the database; however, certain…

Of all the tens of thousands of Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) proofs in the National Numismatic Collection, only a handful come with the underprinted tints that were on the issued notes. Three of these, found by Greg Alexander, editor of the Souvenir Card Journal, were 1878 Scoffield-Gilfillan $100, $500, and $1,000 silver dollar certificates of deposit. Any one of these in issued form is ultra rare, so we’ll go for the gusto and focus on the $1,000. The red tints consisting of the treasury seal, bold “1,000,” and serial number tombstone in the upper right corner, were printed first so as not to interfere with the all-important black information. The tints were printed from intaglio plates. The $1,000s carry the portrait of William Learned Marcy, most likely someone…

Without a standardized numbering system, researching and organizing a paper money collection can be a frustrating experience. It can be a time-consuming process and prone to mistakes that industry professionals and collectors want to avoid. One of the most popular and industry-preferred methods for addressing this challenge is Pick numbers. A Pick number is a globally recognized identifier assigned to an individual bank note and its issuing country. It begins with a “P” (or the word “Pick”) and is followed by a unique number assigned to the issue — for example, P-567. Sometimes, a letter is added if the note is from a series, such as P-567a or P-567b, if there is a specific signature combination, or other attribute that distinguishes it from other notes in the series. Pick numbers…

Last year, Numismatic News teamed up with a tour agency and planned a trip for coin enthusiasts. While there was much discussion behind the scenes on where to go and what to do there, we finally settled on visiting London and parts of Wales. This year, we were able to make the trip happen. As editor, I was able to tag along on the trip. With so much to see and do, and only seven days to do it, the itinerary was packed. That being said, we reserved Day 1 for people to arrive, and a welcome dinner was arranged for everyone to be able to meet. Day 2 is when things really kicked off, with a trip to a local coin shop, visiting the British Museum, and a tour…

Robert Calderman has quickly become a major dealer in small-size U.S. type notes and any other items he can acquire. He is a young fellow who hit the stage running and is even compiling a comprehensive U.S. small-size paper money catalog to fill a crying need. Robert was just elected to serve as president of the Society of Paper Money Collectors, an action taken at the 2025 American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. One thing he possesses is knowledge of and an eye for scarce varieties, and anything else he knows is pushing the envelope. When he acquired this Oakland note, he saw from a catalog that it had a Treasury sheet serial in one of the ranges that compiler Louis Van Belkum was unable…

Could the media be prejudiced towards encouraging a cashless society? A recent leading, or more likely misleading, headline screams, “Goodbye to These Bills—Wal-Mart Announces That It Will Not Accept These Dollars Starting in November.” Another incredulous recent headline reads: “Only One in 12 Adults ‘Still Uses Coins and Bank Notes All the Time.” And what about the recent New York Times newspaper article titled “America Must Free Itself from the Tyranny of the Penny?”If you read the Wal-Mart article, it actually explains that many merchants don’t want to accept damaged bank notes—especially if the note is missing one of its two sets of serial numbers. The key to the second headline is the wording “All the Time,” which the publisher purposely used to emphasize a cashless agenda. Since such headlines…

Welcome to the second of three articles on the coolest error notes series! The fun continues with additional rare paper money errors. In the October 2025 issue of Bank Note Reporter, I looked beyond the more common errors and focused on the unusual to elicit a few "Holy Cows" from readers. I purposely left out double denomination errors (which are very cool!) since they were covered extensively in Bank Note Reporter in 2024. Paper money errors are more intriguing because they offer something different and unexpected. Buckle up and enjoy the ride. Thanks to Stack’s Bowers Galleries and Heritage Auctions for the images contained. Also, thanks to paper money error expert Richard Merlau for his input. DOUBLE THIRD PRINTING ERRORS While the third printing of serial numbers and the Treasury…

The Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has recently launched the Clean Note Campaign to instruct the public that the responsibility of bank note upkeep lies with both them and the bank. At the September 19, 2025, launch of the campaign, CBL Banking Department Deputy Director Juah K. Feika said, “In 2022, the government printed new Liberian bank notes at a huge cost. But the way the money is being handled—the rate at which it is being damaged—is alarming.” Fieka scolded the general public: “When you squeeze money, write on it, wrap it, or put oil on it, you are disrespecting your national currency. This money is our national symbol—just like the Liberian flag. If we disrespect our money, foreigners will also disrespect it.” Fieka didn’t mince words about the costs…

Papua New Guinea Announced in April 2025 and now released to the public, the Bank of Papua New Guinea’s new commemorative 50 kina honors the country’s 50th anniversary. The note appears like earlier 50-kina commemorative and circulating issues, with additions including a gold 50th anniversary logo and the country’s national emblem, the Raggiana bird-of-paradise, flying in front of the National Parliament House in Port Moresby. Botswana On its 50th anniversary, the Bank of Botswana released the new design for the 50 pula note. The issue honors the country’s first Olympic winner, sprinter Letsile Tebogo, and the 4x400m relay team that the athlete anchored for a silver win at the 2024 Paris Games. Brunei The Brunei Darussalam Central Bank will release a new collection of notes in early 2026. The issues…

Now here is a pair to draw to. Ever popular with collectors are “Series of 1929” Federal Reserve Bank notes with their provisional overprints. Born in a provision in the Emergency Banking Relief Act of 1933 to infuse the economy with liquidity following FDR’s Bank Holiday, large volumes of these notes were rushed through production at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) using preprinted national bank note stock and poured into circulation by the twelve Federal Reserve Banks. Within months, they had fulfilled their function and issuance ceased. Only 35% of the printed ones were issued during the 1933–1934 emergency. The remainders plus fit notes retired from circulation went into storage throughout the system, with many of those stocks being destroyed as obsolete. Those that survived were perfectly good…

In 2019, Iran considered a new monetary system due to inflationary pressures. The proposal wasn’t acted upon; however, it now appears that the proposal may have been dusted off. In May 2025, Iranian Central Bank Governor Mohammad Reza Farzin admitted the Iranian rial “does not have a favorable image.” Farzin wasn’t talking about the vignettes on bank notes or images on coins. The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran has allowed private banks to issue high-denomination Iranian cheques since 2023. These are bearer-teller’s checks printed to look like official bank notes. The central bank’s 2,000,000-rial bank note has been referred to as a 200 toman, suggesting in jest that there would be a currency revaluation through which four zeroes would be cut off from the face value of…

Among the many items for sale at Geoffrey Bell Auctions' September 30—October 3 event was a remarkable selection of Canadian bank notes that captivated collectors both in the Great White North and abroad. These bidders were after 150 highly sought-after bank notes from the collection of respected Canadian numismatist, collector, and author Robert (Bob) Graham. The auction occurred through two events: the first took place online on September 30, 2025, as a "Warm Up" sale, and the other was in-person on October 3, 2025, at the Toronto Coin Expo in the Toronto Reference Library. One of the most-watched notes of the event was an 1892 $5 Canadian Bank of Commerce Yukon overprint that was sold for CA$23,000. Experts are only aware of a handful of examples of this piece, and…