For a long time now the Ivory Coast has been classified, in the realm of paper money collecting, as part of the West African States, and truly it is so. And truly it is so. It shares a currency common with many of its neighbors. However, there was an issue of Ivory Coast money, though similar to the issues of other countries, was Ivory Coasts very own, and that is the 1917 issue. At the time the French colonists saw fit to print .5, 1, and 2 Franc banknotes and though they are not pretty notes, they are becoming scarce — and expensive. However, some of these notes in less than VF condition are still affordable on eBay, and so I’ve made it a point to buy them so that I can check another country off of my collection list.

Ivory Coast p1c, 1917 50 Centimes Paper Money

Well, the new site is coming along. Its definitely a lot of work, and so I do appreciate the patience. Its been a long time coming, but at the same time the new website is much more complex than the old, and it is all being custom coded. Currently, I am adding both user and administrative functions which will allow the site to be maintained in a very efficient manner. I am building the site so that when registration is open, users will immediately be able to create useful accounts and have the ability to contribute to the community through scan uploads, news publishing, and the creation of ‘favorite banknote lists’, ‘ebay auction lists’, and ‘banknote wishlists.’ The paper money forum will be created after the site has been launched …

Maybe a teaser screenshot?

Latest Screenshot of the New Website

The latest version of the paper money collectors website RealBanknotes.com is still under construction. However, lots of progress has been made in the last couple of weeks, and although I can’t pin-point a date, I am hoping to have the latest version online soon. It features a much more elaborate database, with updated values, and added functions such as a members section and forums. However, be forewarned: the members section will be ready a few months after the launch of the site. The front-end will be online in the near future, and the back-end … well … in the future ;)

However, with the current version we are approaching 1.5 MILLION banknote views. Not bad considering that the site was launched just over a year ago. Anyways, enough pats on the back for myself.

Here is a preview of the new site:

After recently missing an opportunity on a beautiful antique Nicaraguan banknote featuring a farmer plowing his fields with his oxen a new opportunity re-emerged with a similar scene on Turkish paper money. Pick 199a is a 1 Livre banknote from 1926, which is quickly becoming either very expensive or scarce on eBay, and features a man plowing a field using a couple of oxen. I wasn’t really looking for this banknote in particular, and it wasn’t really a bargain if I use the standard catalog of world paper money as a reference, but I think that it is one of those banknotes that will prove its investment value within a relatively short period of time. This one cost me $50. On the other hand, the lowest Buy It Now price on eBay, for a note in similar condition is $130, so suddenly it doesn’t seem like I overpaid!

Turkey p119a: 1 Livre from 1926

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

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!

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

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

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

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)