Most of you are aware that you can view the certified proofs for all the Series of 1875, 1882, and 1902 national bank note face plates on either the Smithsonian website or more easily on the Society of Paper Money Collectors website. Occasionally you

The Stack’s Bowers Galleries Spring 2024 Showcase Auction saw intense collector interest, realizing $32 million over 14 sessions of U.S. coins, bank notes, numismatic Americana, and physical cryptocurrency. Included were two live U.S. currency sessio

The focus of this article is intermediate size back plate serial number 1597 on $10 1950A, B, and C FRNs, a variety that few people know about because nothing much has been written about it. Decades ago, someone pointed out 1597 on the back of a $10

Canada has withdrawn its $1,000 bank note. The €500 bank note has been withdrawn by the European Union. The United States no longer issues any denomination bank note over $100. India is now completing the process of withdrawing its ₹2000 (rupee) bank

Patricia “Patty” S. Collins has been appointed 27th director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). She is the first woman to serve as director in the Bureau’s 162-year history. Collins brings decades of senior federal service to the role, in

Coin and bank note collecting is part of the same numismatic animal, or are they? Since my interest in paper money is primarily in researching the story behind the individuals who signed a short snorter, the increase or decrease in the value of bank

Widespread counterfeiting of the first three Fractional issues led to the creation of 4th issue notes. Introduced in July 1869, the 4th issue Fractional denominations included the 10-cent Liberty, 15-cent Columbia, 25-cent Washington, and 50-cent Lin

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and Declarations of War on Japan and Germany, United States officials were concerned about the possibility of an invasion of the Hawaiian Islands. This would allow Japan to seize United States assets. So, all

A vintage Netherlands Indies rarity was the top highlight among an incredible assortment of more than 450 bank notes in a Crown Currency sale. Focused on the Netherlands and with a particularly strong group of bank notes from its former colonies, Cro

Mavin held an auction featuring hundreds of bank notes and coins from around the world, with a focus on Southeast Asian rarities. The notes and coins were offered in Mavin’s Auction 65, which was held on April 20, 2024. Among the top lots for bank no

Recently, I made a short trip to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia as well as Richmond and located some quaint towns along the way. So, this month, we’ll be looking at historic Brunswick, Md., and quaint Ashland, Va. US 340 in Maryland passes by hist

An avid collector sent this attractive $100 bearing the second title used by this West Chester, Pa., bank that took effect in February 1930. The bank issued all five of the Series of 1929 type 1 denominations, wherein the issuances of the $50s and $1

Collectors of Civil War currencies can walk a thin line between numismatics and philately. During the Civil War, the American economy was in complete disarray. Because of a severe shortage of coinage throughout the nation, many people started using v

According to the Federal Reserve, the lifespan of a $20 bill is approximately 7.8 years. However, Ronald McKernan’s recent ATM withdrawal included a note that defied those expectations by nearly 70 years. After withdrawing $100 cash to spend on an up

This month’s article combines some common-sense questions about National Bank Notes and a bit of financial sleuthing to present a very interesting piece of national banking history. A few years ago, when I was actively collecting national bank notes

America’s Paper Money: A Canvas for an Emerging Nation by William L. Pressly is the first in-depth study of the imagery on the country’s paper currency before 1900. Because paper money circulated everywhere, it was the country’s most widely distribut

An exceptionally rare Bank of Canada $500 1935 BC-17 English Text PCGS Banknote About UNC 53 PPQ sold for $228,000 to lead Heritage’s World Paper Money Signature® Auction to $1,975,746 March 7-8. When the Bank of Canada opened in March 1935, its firs

For nearly a century, Stack’s Bowers Galleries has been committed to assisting clients through all facets of their collecting journey regardless of collecting specialty or whether buying or selling. A concern at the forefront for many experienced col

Stack’s Bowers Galleries presented its Spring 2024 Showcase Auction of U.S. Currency. Two sessions will be hosted at Griffin Studios in the firm’s Costa Mesa, Calif. headquarters, one on Wednesday, March 27, and one on Thursday, March 28. Both sessio

Creede, Colo. is a scenic old mining town with a current population of under 300. The town is situated along Willow Creek on flat ground that opens to the south of a deep cliffed gulch through which the creek flows. The town is billed as the last sil

It may have taken six years for it to become general public knowledge, but recent publicity surrounding a spelling mistake on an Australian bank note is drawing attention to the note both inside and outside Australia. Apparently, someone at Note Prin

This is a follow-up to the March 2021 Notes from Washington reporting the discovery of a typo on a Series of 1929 $5 from Mt. Orab, Ohio. Notice that County is misspelled as “Gounty”. This mistake was made on a 6-subject stopgap electrotype plate mad

In 1928 the United States Treasury reduced the size of United States currency from its dimensions going back to the early 1860s. The new currency would measure 6.14 inches in length and 2.61 inches in width. Notes would be .0043 inches thick, a stack

APRIL 2024 U.S. Paper Money Price Guide In the January 30 Letters to the Editor in Numismatic News, a reader wrote that the reader has concluded stamp collecting is a dying hobby. Stamps are seldom used on letters anymore. For that reason, our attent

Ever since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, the question has been raised about if once her son Charles III’s portrait began to appear on coins and bank notes would currency with her portrait remain as legal tender? The answer is “yes,” howeve