Collecting World currency has become my recent pastime. Originally, I focussed only on Bank of Canada issues & developed an eye only for replacements, change-overs & special numbers. On my travels, I picked up a few notes but they were often too circulated for my collection. On a 2004 trip to Europe, I decided that I was going to acquire some Euros with the Wim Duisenberg signature, since I rarely came saw them. 

Learning about each nation's series, their designs/motifs, historical landmarks & other bits of info has become a wonderful/yet intriguing challenge for me. I realized early on that it would become a lifelong adventure of learning.  I hope you will find your currency hobby equally appealing & satisfying.  

Although I have been collecting paper for more than 4 decades, I still get off on tangents (we all can get distracted).  But in our post pandemic climate, I have sought a number of intriguing motifs with different themes. I focussed on Israeli notes due to the genius of Einstein, & Physics theme featured on the 5 Israel Pounds.  I realized I often got hooked on one particular motif or another. The Bahamas $10 appealed to me because of the birds motif (flamingos on the reverse) & because it is a small Commonwealth island nation.  I chased the lighthouse motif of the more recent 2016 TENS.  I  got hooked on notes with airplanes, elephants & horse motifs (Mexico 50,000 Pesos or Italy's 50,000 Liras). 

I encourage each and everyone of you to look at your collection and develop 1 or 2 specific goals or focus on a motif/theme for your sets. Ask yourself, which denominations, what condition, signatures do I require to complete an impressive set? 

If this is really impossible than ask yourself: am I just buying notes that are cheap? Am I buying because I have extra money to burn? 

OR can I get more selective?  Should I focus on errors, replacements or special serial numbers? Am I interested in specific series(s), a specific substrate, security feature, region or motif/theme?  [This is not collecting by motif but using other selective parameters]. I still seek Low or Special Serial Numbered notes and most recently I've tried to stick to early (pre-security strip) or short-lived variants.  

Each person's collection will be different. But it should NOT just centre around buying/acquiring (adding 1 or 2 notes/month approach). This is not collecting but rather hoarding.  A person who restores cars doesn't just keep buying cars.  He/she goes to shows & finds other ways to enjoy his/her hobby.  And the longer one stays with the hobby the more selective one becomes. I have yet to meet a veteran collector who has "one note from each country." Organize your notes, store them correctly (good albums so they show nicely), network with other collectors & research the rich history (or culture) behind each series & nation.   

Enjoy the journey!

(Last updated: June 20th 2025)

• Australia (& The Commonwealth of Australia P-37/42 $1 & P-50/51/57/62 & P-NL Hong Kong Commemorative $5) $$

• The Bahamas (P-13 to P-76 $1 - $20 & "P-New") $$

• Belize (P-33 to P-72 see also British Honduras below) $

• Bermuda (P-18 to P-56) $$$

• British Caribbean Territories (P-7 to P-12: Includes Barbados)* $$$

• British Honduras (Now Belize: P-28 to P-32 $1 - $20)* $$$

• Canada (P-66 to P-86 $1 - $100 & then P-94 $2; P-89/93/97/103/108/111 $20 & P-100 $1000 Note P-111 is a 2015 Commemorative $20 ) $$

• Cayman Islands (P1-P-43 & P-New: $1 to $100. The Cayman Islands had a $40 & continue to print a $25 note) $

• Ceylon (P-49 to P-55: 1 to 100 Rupees)* $$$

• Cyprus (P-33 to P-36: 250 Mils to 5 Pounds)* $$$

• East Africa (P-33 to P-44 5 - 100 Shillings)* $$$

• East Caribbean States  (P-13 to P-55: $1 to $100 plus P-New 2019-2020 Vertical Series) PA portrait** $ to $$ 

• Falkland Islands (P-7 to P-19: 10 Shillings to 50 Pounds) $ to $$

• Fiji (P-51 to P-57: 5 Shillings to 20 Pounds & P-58 to P-114 $0.50 to $100) PA portrait** $$ (recent editions cheap but pre-decimal pricey)

• Gibraltar (P-20 to P-40: 1 Pound to 100 Pounds) $

• Great Britain (P-373 to P-395 & P-New: 10 Shillings to 50 Pounds) $ - $$

• Guernsey (P-56 to P-61 & P-New: 5 Pounds to 50 Pounds) $

• Hong Kong (P-324A to P-327: $1 to 1 Cent) $

• Isle of Man (P-24 to P-49 & P-New: 10 Shillings to 20 Pounds) $$$

• Jamaica (Treasury 5 Pound P-48 & Government of Jamaica P-49 to P-52: 5 Shilling to 5 Pounds)* $$$

• Jersey (P-7 to P-37:  10 Shillings to 100 Pounds). PA portrait** $-$$

• Malaya & British Borneo (P-1 to P-7: $1 to $10,000)* $$$

• Malta (P-23 to P-30: 1949 - 1967 10 Shillings to 5 Pounds) PA portrait** $$$

• Mauritius (P-27-P-33: 5-100 Rupees) PA portrait** for 1967 Bank of later version. $

• New Zealand (P-163 to P-176, P-179, P-183/1187/193: $1 to $100 & $20 in later years) $$

• Rhodesia (P-24 to P-29: 10 Shillings to 5 Pounds) PA portrait** $$$

• Rhodesia & Nyasaland (P-20 to P-23 10 Shillings to 10 Pounds)* $$$

• Saint Helena (P-5 to P-13:  50 Pence to 20 Pounds) $

• Scotland (RBS: P-362 & P-368 5 & 10 Pound commemorative notes REVERSE) $$

• Seychelles (P-14 to P-18: 5 to 100 Rupees)* PA portrait** $$$

• Solomon Islands (P-5 to P-12: $2 to $20) $

• Southern Rhodesia (P-12 to P-18)* $$$ 

• Trinidad & Tobago (P-26 tp P-29: $1 to $20)* PA portrait** $$ & $$$

Art MOTIFS:

• Belgium P-134  Lambert Lombard painter &  P-140/142 Hendrik Beyaert architecture) $

• Brazil (P-212 500 Cruzados P-214/217 5,000 Cruzados/P-219/221/225/P-232 Music/P-234 Dance) $

• France (P-133/137/141 500/5 Francs Victor Hugo- writer; P-150 to P-154 10-100 Francs) $$

• Germany (P-37 to P-41/46 5 D Mark Bettina Van Armin to 100 D Marks Clara Schumann) $

• Italy (P-96 1000 Lire Guiseppe Verdi -opera/P-97 10,000 Lire Michelangelo P-99 50,000 Lire -Leonard Da Vinci) $$

• Sweden (P-62/64 50 Kronor Jenny Lind-opera/P-71/73 Greta Garbo/MB Nilsson) $$

UNESCO World Heritage sites:

Above is a link to a thread posted on the Paper Money Forum.  I have listed it separately because if you try to build a collection of notes which portrays different UNESCO world heritage sites, this will be a rich & rewarding collection filled with fascinating history.

world Notes available