loan

subject: How To Determine Collectible Currency Values [print this page]

How To Determine Collectible Currency Values

Numismatists are often mistakenly thought to be collectors of

only coins. In reality, the broad discipline of numismatics

encompasses a broad study of money in general, including

paper currency. Veteran hobbyists in this field understand

that there are many factors that determine collectible

currency values.

For starters, the year of printing matters for each note.

Each note of currency will bear at least one printing of a

year. The year is known as the series, meaning when the

currency was printed, not necessarily when it began

circulation. A good example of this is the 1935 U. S. Silver

certificate series. First printed in 1935, the series was

printed the same way through 1956.

A better way to gauge paper money's age is to determine what

signatures are printed on the currency. These will be the

signatures of the federal officers in charge of the treasury

and mint, when the notes were actually printed. Dating these

signatures will date the real age of the currency.

Another misconception is that collectible currency values

increase with age. The corollary to this is the mistaken

idea that a note's value increases if it's "in great shape

for its age". Collectors place no stock in currency's age.

All that matters is its rarity. For instance, experts know

that thousands of 19th century currency notes exist that are

in perfect, un-circulated condition. However, since there are

so many of these notes, neither their age nor their perfect

condition carries much weight. In this instance, rarity and

survival rates rather than age or condition would be the

determining factors in the currency's value.

Many people unfamiliar with the hobby of collecting money

also are confused about the role that a note's condition

plays in currency collectible values. Grading the value of

paper money is quite complicated, far more than the common

assessment that "everything is readable" on the note. A note

with unreadable printing would have no value as a collectible

under any circumstances, because it would be impossible to

determine its rarity, survival rate, series number and so

on.

Novices in money collecting can't be expected to

understanding the intricate classifications of paper money.

However, rather than using vague terms, it's better to

examine each note for such things as creases, folds,

pinholes and torn or ragged corners and describe them

accurately to buyers and collectors. For optimum value,

paper money should be stored in plastic sleeves and keep in

an environment with temperature control.

Ultimately, there is one certain truth in determining

collectible currency values: No note will ever be any rarer

than it was when it was first printed. In other words,

holding onto a note for a long time doesn't make its value

increase if it wasn't rare at the beginning.

How To Determine Collectible Currency Values

By: mr dms

welcome to loan (http://www.yloan.com/)