USA

United States of America:

Currency collectors from the US form the lion's share of today's movers & shakers in the paper money industry. They can be avid collectors with deep pockets for US coins/currency first (which also has a long rich history) and often influence the World banknote market. More American sellers, local coin shops & suppliers (distributers) originate from the USA than anywhere else. It would be no exaggeration to claim that US sellers can literally heat up (or cool down) the World collector's market if a particular nation's currency becomes trendy. Truck loads of 'dealer stock' (East Asian, Soviet block, Chinese fractionals & hyper-inflated Zimbabwe) notes originate from US dealers. The American Dollar has been strong enough to purchase bricks of Iraqi & defunct national issues for less than pennies a piece. The USD has been the currency most readily accepted by other nations.

The USD is the most traded currency & partners with many primary "pairs" on Forex. It also happens to be commonly used for most foreign nation's reserve funds. It gets a steady stream of media coverage. Business people from all over the globe become attached to it for one reason or another. The USD rightly holds the spotlight compared to other currencies.

All of these factors make several of the US denominations a fascinating banknote to collect. But you really should "know your stuff" before embarking on a collection of US notes! Forget putting only crinkled $1.00 from your various trips away in a shoebox. If you want to collect high grade USD banknotes than you MUST research which SERIES to collect. It is printed, either in Fort Worth or Washington DC, by the Bureau of Engraving & Printing (or the BEP).

My knowledge of US banknotes is limited so I urge those interested in collecting BEP (& older LARGE SIZE US) to first have a look at this "Brief Introduction" by PCGS. Check out the many forums on my SITES & FORUMS page before sinking too much money into any particular item "on a hunch." Be sure you know as much as you can about which FRB the note was issued from before you buy. Check out the seller's feedback & be extra cautious. It is imperative that you understand, & be fully aware, that one prefix can have up to 100,000,000 run! Remember that a BEP Star Replacement banknote may come from a massive print run that could run into several million. Yet many online sellers will throw out terms like "RARE" (or "SCARCE") as if these terms are meaningless. Anything to sell a buck!

Today, the Bureau of Engraving & Printing (BEP) produce the small size Federal Reserve Note (FRN) green seal currency we see used both in the US and around the world today. FRN Star Replacement notes should be in high grade for them to be "collectible." A lot of Social Media and Youtube videos encourage hobbyist to search bundles and save their circulated star notes. These are "fun finds" but a serious paper money collector would AVOID this trap. If they are a star note collector they would likely buy UNC or a TPG Star Replacement from a low run of 340,000 banknotes (or less). And you better believe they'd know which FRB Replacements have the tough runs! See my additional notes below under "Special Serial Numbers" to learn about the 12 FRB's.

Before the FRN's appeared, there was their predecessor series which were called the Silver Certificates (SC). Before SC, the Gold Certificates were the norm. These are quite pricey. You'll need to understand the difference between a United States Legal Tender and National Bank Note. Some collectors focus only on Confederate States, Obsolete banks or "Fractional" currency.

The BEP has been around for a long time & seem loath to break from tradition. They have implemented some of the world's most iconic design elements & globally recognized denominations. In addition, the BEP still continues to print paper One & Two Dollar denominations along with popular Star Replacement notes. At one time they experimented using a WEB press printing process as a means of production. Many inexpensive older notes can be purchased in UNC grade for those on a budget! That is because they can print a trillion banknotes in a short time frame. Normal runs are vastly higher than most nations who are not printing hyperinflation currency. Try to keep some of these factors in mind when zeroing in on what block you wish to keep/collect from the FRB. To get a basic understanding on how US banknotes Series are produced & how serial numbers are coded (regarding YEAR & Federal Reserve Indicator) take this LINK. The same link has excellent graphics which show the printing matrix & how Front & Back Plate Numbers work.

Special Serial Numbers:

Special serial number collectors are an every growing segment of the hobby. US collectors call special serial numbers "fancy." They acquire them from the BEP, Nationals and earlier. Each FRN serial number begins with a letter, 8 serial numbers, a second letter that indicates where that banknote was issued (12 Federal Reserve Banks or FRB). There is also coding for where the note was printed (Fort Worth, Texas or Washington DC). If you are new to collecting US paper money it would serve you well to visit USPaperMoneyInfo & get to know which FRB serial numbers & Blocks to collect.

To see some examples of USD special serial numbers check out this site for a quick, easy to read, reminder.

Here are some of the extra notes I have from my personal collection (no special # right now- sorry). I have only provided a segment of what is available as I have a few I may grade. Ask about the other notes on my list (below) & I can send a scan if you're interested:

RETURN TO LIST.
POSTAGE: for Canadian orders $2 (unless registered or Xpress mail); for US orders $4 (unless registered/priority): $5 for international orders please wait for quote- all prices are quoted in US dollars for world banknotes.

If you see a note you wish to purchase than please contact notaphilyc@gmail.com Orders should be over $10USD minimum. If you wish to place an order over $100.00 USD, I will gladly cover postage. CDN & World collectors please wait for a quote in CDN dollars (for SPOT exchange rate) & to discuss preferred method of payment.

*While US collectors have been the main driving force behind world banknotes, I do believe that large numbers of collectors from India/Pakistan/Bangladesh and China may not be far behind. Personal income has shot up for citizens from these nations and I've seen that the SCWPM BV has been prematurely "dated" for these nations. The majority of US collectors typically collect US first and then World currency as an extension of their collection. However, with a steady influx of immigrants from the above nations, that priority has shifted (many new US citizens seek world first & BEP notes 2nd).