RealBanknotes.com Website Updates
by Proteus on Dec.21, 2011, under Website Updates
Well, I’ve fallen behind in the blog … again. However, its not because of lack of interest or procrastination. I am in the midst of building a much improved version of RealBanknotes.com which will include better display and organization of banknotes (finally banknotes will be organized by pick number!!) Furthermore, the site will have its own blog, search, forums, top 10, featured auctions as well as a members section with advanced features such as value tracking, image uploading, and other such things.
I am also adding catalog values for 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011, as well as thousands of banknote images are being added to the gallery/listings.
As usual, I am open to suggestions for features and functions that you would like. Please let me know by emailing me at: proteus [at] realbanknotes.com.
I’m hesitant to post a screenshot, because the new website will be much more attractive than what it is at the moment, however:
RealBanknotes.com v3.00
Spanish 100 Peseta Banknote from 1940: Pick 118a
by Proteus on Nov.30, 2011, under Recent Acquisitions
I remember when I first started to collect paper money, some of the very first banknotes I bought were from the very beautiful 1928 issue, all of which featured very picturesque depictions of battles, colonization, and other such events on the reverse side. This latest addition to my collection isn’t quite as colorful, however I have always liked these classically styled banknotes, even when they are in monotone. This latest note was, I believe, a decent deal at $15.50. The man at center is none other than Columbus himself!
US Banknotes from Space?
by Proteus on Nov.29, 2011, under Interesting Articles
I’ve just recently received an email about a site that “catalogs and exhibits the world’s largest collection of space flown US $2 bills, spanning the entirety of manned US spaceflight”. Its kind of a different news post for the RealBanknotes.com blog, but it is kind of neat to read about this:
Astronauts, ground support crews, and even a few cosmonauts, have sometimes carried or sent U.S. $2 bills into the deep, black void of space during many historic missions that span manned spaceflight history.
Visit the Jefferson Space Museum website to read more and take a look at some of the bills.
Morocco p50: 10000 Francs from 1954
by Proteus on Nov.27, 2011, under Recent Acquisitions
Well, I managed to get my hands on a beautiful note lately. Its the Moroccan 10,000 Franc banknote from 1954 which features an aerial view of Casablanca. The note isn’t seen on eBay too often however one seller had three of them, and I did not mind paying $50 for the specimen pictured below. Its a beautiful note, and it is quite large as well. Wonder if I could find a Morocco 1953 5,000 Franc banknote on ebay
to get the high denominations notes from this set?
Morocco p50: 10000 Francs from 1954
Unknown Paper Money: 30 Centavos from Colombia?
by Proteus on Oct.29, 2011, under Recent Acquisitions
I’ve recently purchased what seems to be an old Colombian banknote. I only had a very short opportunity to bid, so I didn’t get to look it up in the Standard Catalog of World Paper Money, but now that its come and I am trying to catalog it, I can’t find it anywhere in the catalogs. I’m hoping that someone can help. Its a 30 centavo note that says ‘Republica de Colombia’ but says ‘Para El Use Del Departamento De Panama’. It seems to say that its valid from ’1 Enero do 1899′ until ’31 Diciembre de 1900′. Any ideas?
Unknown Colombian paper money from 1899
19th Century Notes: Paraguay 4 Reales from 1865
by Proteus on Oct.19, 2011, under Recent Acquisitions
I can’t believe my luck: I had no idea that old paper money notes from Paraguay could be purchased so affordably. As a matter of fact, I don’t think that I’ve even seen a pre-1900′s banknote from Paraguay on eBay before (as an auction, not as a buy it now), so when I saw a note from 1865 for cheap, I was excited to bid. And can you believe it? I won! I got this beauty, pick 20 from Paraguay, for just $5.00. What a beautiful piece of history.
Paraguay p20: 4 Reales from 1865
RealBanknotes.com Update: paper money from China split over 7 Sections
by Proteus on Oct.03, 2011, under Website Updates
The listing of paper money from China is the last hurdle in my bid to add images and catalog values, from the 2008 catalog, to RealBanknotes.com. When I began China consisted of about 4000 banknotes. From the onset I wanted to combine Japanese China, Taiwan, Chinese Puppet Banks, etc into one category: China. This was to make the search process easier for visitors. However, I found that I cannot process 12000 catalog values at once, because the system is programmed to do an entire country in one shot. Hence, I have retracted and re-created Chinese subsidiaries, as follows:
Empire of China
Republic of China
Japanese China
Russian China
Chinese Puppet Banks
Chinese Manchukuo
Chinese Taiwan
The divisions have already been created. Also, values for all subsections excluding the Republic of China have been added to the database. Images for some of the subsections have been uploaded as well. Its been a few hours of work for me, so I had better get back to some paid work, but I hope to have the remainder of values added soon. Pictures will be sure to follow. I should have the entire 2008 catalog added soon. Then maybe it will be time for a re-design and update? Who knows …
Young Queen: Sign of Value of Paper Money Collection
by Proteus on Sep.29, 2011, under eBay Trends
The trend has been going for quite a while, so I am sure that avid collectors are already weary of this fact, but paper money featuring the young Queen Elizabeth II fetches much more value than money of the same value, from the same era, but without her majesty. Of particular note are banknotes from the Bahamas and Jamaica (pre-1961 issue), which have been fetching tidy sums of money on eBay in any condition above VF. Unfortunately I cannot afford to buy one of those notes, so I have settled on something different, which I hope will go up in value in the same fashion: a Malta p27a which is a five pound banknote from 1961. The banknote features a young Queen Elizabeth II at right and hasn’t soared to the values of the Bahamas and Jamaica counterparts, but I have a feeling that this will change. Good investment? Only time will tell …
Malta p27a: 5 Pound banknote from 1961
Underrated Catalog Values on Czechoslovakian Specimens?
by Proteus on Sep.19, 2011, under Recent Acquisitions
With no exceptions that I can think of, Czechoslovakian specimen banknotes from the pre-world war II era have been selling for much more than catalog value. The most common banknotes of this type that are found on eBay are from the 1926-1934 issue as issued by the Czechoslovak National Bank. Pick 24, the 500 Korun banknote, and pick 25, the 1000 Korun banknote are most common. Specimens of these banknotes are valued at $15 and $20, respectively, in uncirculated condition. However, I feel very lucky to have won an auction on a very fine conditioned 24s for a price of $9.05, as I have seen these banknotes sell for over their UNC catalog values even in conditions as low as F. Here’s my winner:
Czech pick 24s: 500 Korun from 1929 (Specimen)
Mali Second Series 500 Franc Banknote
by Proteus on Sep.12, 2011, under Recent Acquisitions
I’m not sure why the second series of paper money from Mali are so in-demand at the moment, but they are definitely more expensive than their first series counterparts, which is unusual. The front of the banknotes are fairly bland, with just color and size differentiating one denomination from another. However, anything above and including the 100 Franc banknote is quite valuable, so I feel lucky to have won this banknote for $22.50. Yes, it is in a beat up state, but this is African paper money we’re talking about here! This is pick 8 from Mali, the 1967 series 500 Franc banknote:
Mali p8 from 1967: 500 Francs
