Innehållsförteckning för January 2026 från Banknote Reporter

To date, we have added 249 new Pick numbers to United States notes, and a total of 276 for the month. Solomon Islands, Yemen Arab Republic, North Korea, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and West African States also had new numbers added to their list. As I write this, Bulgaria is getting a complete look over, including much needed pricing updates. This is due to the large number of contributions given to us from Andrei Kraptchev. The information provided by Kraptchev not only included pricing, but images and error corrections as well, which helps ensure the information provided to you is accurate. If you would like to contribute to NumisMaster, or have questions, please email us at n@aimmedia.com.…

Iove Obsolete bank notes. They harken to the pre-Civil War days, when municipalities, banks, and other commercial enterprises printed their own currency, many of which exquisitely engraved. Before the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was created in 1862, the U.S. Treasury only issued coins that had intrinsic value (copper, silver, and gold). The value of coins was never questioned, as their melt value was generally on par with the precious metals they contained. However, the highest value for an 1862 Treasury issued coin was $20—a lot of money for the average citizen 160+ years ago. But for commercial and larger transactions of hundreds or thousands of dollars, banks needed something more convenient, as coins were bulky and heavy. The was for banks to issue their own currency backed by the…

At the end of October, Numismatic News Senior Editor and Coin of the Year Coordinator Sophia Mattimiro, along with NumisMaster Market Analyst Jeff Starck, left the United States for a trip to China. The journey was the result of months of planning and coordinating with the Coin of the Year (COTY) sponsor, Journal of East Asian Numismatics (JEAN), and China Gold Coin Group Co., LTD. The goal of the trip was to learn more about China Gold Coin’s 2025 Chinese Dragon silver bullion coin, which was released earlier in the year, as well as visit the Beijing International Coin Expo. Starting the trip in Hong Kong, Mattimiro and Starck made a stop at a permanent coin market. The small three-story building housed numerous small shops specializing in coins, bank notes,…

I have made a habit of reporting on newly discovered Oklahoma and Indian territorial notes because most are rarities from some small bank in a tiny town that many people have never heard of. As such, they have a very special allure for national bank note collectors. Although there are plenty of each in my census, many are the only note reported from the bank, or at least the only territorial. My census of them at the moment is 134 Oklahoma territorials from 74 banks and 166 Indian territorials from 82 banks. Obviously, the notes are thinly distributed among those banks. This month’s reveal is quite different but equally important and interesting. For one thing, it isn’t a new discovery. The note has been in numismatic hands for a couple…

This Tempe note ranks as one of the greatest “Series of 1882” Arizona territorials ever discovered. It was shipped to the bank on January 12, 1905. At that time, the bank had a minimal capitalization of $25,000, as allowed by the Gold Standard Act of 1900 for banks in towns with a population of 3,000 or less. This allowed them to circulate $6,250. By statehood, the bankers doubled their capitalization, so their circulation doubled to $12,500. The note’s owner, Mark Sims, ferreted out a very obscure factoid associated with their issuance. The bankers issued only from 10-10-10-20 “Series of 1882” sheets for their territorial circulation. It consisted of 520 sheets of brown backs and 910 sheets of date backs. Sims added these to get 1,420 sheets. Multiplying by 4, he…

The Great Depression, which began with the stock market crash in 1929, lasted almost until World War II, as various governments in America ran out of money. In response to the lack of circulating currency, cities and municipalities across the country began issuing what became known as “depression scrip” — a type of emergency money intended for local use. Depression scrip was issued in towns and cities across the United States and was a great help during tough times. This form of substitute currency allowed basic commerce to continue when traditional money was unavailable, and in many cases, became the only medium of exchange for everyday purchases. Many of these notes were issued on inexpensive paper and intended for short-term use, which also contributed to their rarity today, as most…

Bhutan In its first phase of a complete redesign of its bank notes, the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan has released new Nu. 100, Nu. 500, and Nu. 1,000. The series honors the 70th auspicious birth anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Singye Wangchuck and the legacy of the Wangchuck Dynasty. Along with new security features printed on SAFEGUARD by De La Rue, the obverse features portraits of the King of Bhutan and important members of the Wangchuck Dynasty, while the reverse displays iconic buildings from the country’s history. Fiji Beginning January 2, the Reserve Bank of Fiji released a new series of polymer FJ$5, FJ$10, FJ$20, FJ$50, and FJ$100 bank notes. The collection shows the same obverses and color scheme but features new designs on the…

JANUARY 2026 U.S. Paper Money Price Guide Crane Currency and U.S. bank notes are so intertwined that it appears the company has a permanent lock on supplying the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) with the security paper needed to print America’s currency. In fact, although Crane has been selling the paper to the BEP without interruption for many years, the problem is not that Crane is trying to have a monopoly on the business but that competitors haven’t been in a hurry to step forward. Crane recently acquired “a significant stake in” Antares Vision SpA, which designs, manufactures, installs, and maintains inspection and detection systems that ensure product safety and quality control. Antares has developed software that aids in preventing counterfeiting. Saak said of the acquisition, “We continue to…

Once in a great while, we find among the Bureau of Engraving and Printing proofs in the Smithsonian’s National Numismatic Collection a face where both the intaglio tint and intaglio face appear together. This certainly makes for a spectacular proof. The red tint was printed first so that it wouldn’t overlay the black image, thus making it look ragged. In the case of the $500 1875 legal tender notes, the tint consisted of the Treasury seal, a bold ornate “D 500 D” below the central counter, and a little medallion with “Series A 1875” to the right. The issued notes carried red serial numbers. The 1874-1875-1878 series of legal tender notes was adopted to replace the earlier “Series of 1869” because some of the lower denominations in the earlier series…