Archive for August 2006

The History of Money In the Beginning: Barter Barter is the exchange of resources or services for mutual advantage, and may date back to the beginning of humankind. Some would even argue that it’s not purely a human activity; plants and animals have been bartering — in symbiotic relationships — for millions of years. In…

ADOPENGO: Hungary AFGHANI: Afghanistan AUSTRALE: Argentina BAHT: Thailand BAISA: Oman BALBOA: Panama BIPKWELE: Equatorial Guinea BIRR: Ethiopia BOLIVARE: Venezuela BOLIVIANO: Bolivia CEDI: Ghana CENTAVO: Cuba, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Philippines CENT: China, Sierra Leone, USA CENTESIMO: Uruguay CENTIME: Saar COLON/COLONES: Costa Rica, El Salvador CORDOBA: Nicaragua CRUZADO, CRUZEIRO, CRUZADO NOVO: Brazil DALASI: Gambia DENAR/DENARI: Macedonia DINAR/DINARA: Algeria,…

This introduction reveals the basics of paper money collecting, including: * the hobby’s attractions * why it is growing in popularity * the fundamentals of paper currency collecting * how surprisingly inexpensive it can be * housing and displaying your collection 1.What are the attractions of collecting paper money? 2.The cost of collecting paper money…

This exciting hobby is growing in popularity for many reasons. For one thing it’s becoming increasingly easy to find interesting and attractive banknotes from around the world, with great visual, historical and cultural interest – often for only a few pence each. A banknote collection can be a fine investment. Many notes have been growing…

The ever-growing availability of cheap and varied material from around the world has already brought the hobby well within reach of even those on the tightest budget. This is one collecting field where prices are actually falling in many areas, mainly where new issues are concerned. For this, we can thank the effects of inflation.…

A banknote collection is an expression of its owner’s personal tastes and interests. There are no set rules regarding collecting themes; you can be as individualistic as you like. Some collectors specialize in notes from one country only – often their own. Some collect from groups of countries; British Commonwealth, Europe, or Africa, for example.…

The investment potential of banknotes has been evident over the years. Some items have seen a growth in value of 10,000% since the end of the last war! American Confederate States notes, for example, could then be bought for about 25c each in the USA. Now, they are hard to find for 100 times that…

Many people become interested in paper money after building a small collection of surplus notes left over from holidays or business trips abroad. Apart from this obvious source, old banknotes often turn up in antique shops, street markets, car boot sales, and ephemera lots at auction. Occasionally you’ll hear of a friend who has discovered…

Well-established dealers are usually more or less familiar with current market values, although their prices may somewhat. If you want to check that you are getting value for money, you will need a comprehensive and up-to-date reference book. The best of these is the Standard Catalogue of World Paper Money. This publication comes in three…

The condition of a note will affect its value dramatically. You should therefore familiarise yourself with the standard gradings of condition. Basically, they are as follows:- ‘UNC’ = ‘Uncirculated’ (perfect mint condition) ‘XF’ = ‘Extremely Fine’ (almost perfect – a single crease perhaps) ‘VF’ = ‘Very Fine’ (a few creases and folds, but no tears.…