I know that old banknotes from Peru are not highly values, but their classical depictions of man, woman, and beast are irresistible. Personally, I don’t see these ever getting super-valuable, but at a few dollars apiece, many of these notes are attractive purchases both as moderate investments and for collectors value. It always puts a smile on my face when I manage to win a note that is 70+ years old, has a beautiful design, and I can buy for less than the cost of a coffee. Such is the case with this Peruvian banknote: a 10 Soles do Oro (suns of gold!) from 1939. Just a beauty of a note, in the South American style of the time. This one cost me $3.65 and will find a welcome place in my collection!

Peru p67: 10 Soles de Oro from 1939

After having actually visited Bolivia, and in particular its bigger outdoor markets, I have come to the realization that any 50 or 100 Bolivianos banknote from either 1911 or the overstamped 1929 version of the same notes, are actually scarce and undervalued in the catalog. Hence, upon my return, I have been keeping my eyes open for pick 119, which is the 100 Boliviano banknote from 1911, without overstamp, to complete the set. Finally I had to settle on a note that is in VG condition, and ended up paying $21 for it. However, as I said, this note is scarce because even though I was able to find lots of banknotes in Bolivia, there was only one person who had any 50 or 100 Boliviano notes from this era. The few that this person had were in bad shape anyhow, and were going for approximately 2.5x face value, which would put my latest purchase at a street price, in Bolivia, of nearly $40USD.

If you are looking to complete a set, or collect this one, I suggest snatching up any 50 and 100 Boliviano notes that are under $20 and $40, respectively, that can be found on eBay. Here is the one I managed to win:

Bolivia p119: 100 Bolivianos from 1911 (without overstamp)

Well, its been a while, but admittedly it is taking a lot of work to produce the new version of RealBanknotes.com. I want the site to be perfect before I launch, but I’m sure its going to be a real improvement, and a huge opportunity for banknote collectors to form a unified online community.

Anyhow, I’ve been on eBay again, and have finally purchased a banknote which I have been trying to buy for a long time. It is a French banknote featuring the Arc de Triomphe at left and Napoléon Bonaparte at right. There are two variations of this note, the earlier version being a 10,000 Franc banknote, the latter, as in this case, being a later version of 100 Nouveaux Francs.

Yes, the edges are torn, and yes, there is a small stain, but considering the rarity of this banknote on eBay, I am very happy to get this one at a price I can afford.

France banknote pick 144a: 100 Nouveaux Francs from 1960 featuring Napoleon