Stamp Collecting Blog - Banknote Collecting

Barack Bucks and McCain Money

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:15:00 -0700

Does Election Tuesday always seem to fall on the 4th; or is it just me? Anyway, No matter who you're backing this time around we have just the to pass along your enthusiasm (or distaste). The Barack Obama Zero Dollar Bill casts the could-be president as a swindler while the Barack Obama Eight Dollar Bill depicts the senator as a hero. Likewise, the John McCain Eight Dollar Bill presupposes the Arizona senator to be the victor in 2008. All three notes are available in singles and packs of 10 or 25.

We also have a great deal on packets of 1000 World Wide Stamps. We've temporily cut the price from $17.25 to only $12.95. We were going to cut this deal off on Friday night (it's Friday as I write this). But that was before I was late getting out this week's news. Yes, it's my fault. But take advantage of it while you can. The new cut off date for this special price will likely be Friday October 24. But I can't say for sure just yet seeing how fast everything is going out the door.

Star Notes

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 19:25:00 -0700

U.S. currency that does not pass inspection is removed for destruction. This creates a problem for the printers, as the serial numbers are automatically done by computer in the printing process. There were only two options: spend 3 days reprogramming the computer every time a note or sheet didn't pass, or create replacement notes - issued to replace a damaged, destroyed or lost note. [More]

Playing Card Notes

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 12:02:00 -0700

"Playing Card" money was a type of emergency issue used in Canada between the late 17th century and mid-18th century by French colonial authorities. They actually cut up playing cards and marked them as currency. -- Lee the Stamp Gal

Canadian Devils Head Currency

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 17:03:00 -0700

An early Canadian banknote vignette of Queen Elizabeth II supposedly contains a likeness of the devil in her hair. Of course, the Queen's hairdo was changed, due to the unfavorable publicity once the word got out. -- Lee the Stamp Gal

School or College Currency

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 10:37:00 -0700

Some business schools in the late 1800's made their own fake "banknotes" in order to use in the classroom as teaching aids for business practices, and handling money. These are rare now. -- Lee the Stamp Gal

Wildcat Banks

Fri, 19 Jan 2007 14:36:00 -0700

In the 19th century, banks issued the money. Sometimes currency became non-negotiable or worthless as money because the issuing bank went out of business. Sometimes a bank, called a wildcat bank, was never really in business. They issued currency as a money-making scheme. -- Lee the Stamp Gal

Money Not Backed by Gold or Silver

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:00:00 -0700

There is currency from the French Revolution in the 1790's called an assignat, which was not backed by gold or silver. It was backed by seized Church property. -- Lee the Stamp Gal

What are Vampire Notes

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 22:09:00 -0700

This is a slang term for a certain German 10,000 mark note design. It's referred to as the "Vampire Note" because, if you turn the bill a certain way, you can see a vampire biting the neck of the German worker pictured. This was supposedly done on purpose, in protest of the government "sucking the common people dry" and is sometimes said to have been a comment on the WWI & pre WWII government figures of Germany. -- Lee the Stamp Gal

U.S. Currency - The Munsters TV Show Connection

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 08:48:00 -0700

What connection could there possibly be between the popular old time TV show THE MUNSTERS and U.S. Silver Certificates? Believe it or not, there IS a connection! Ivy Baker Priest was Treasurer of The United States from January 1953 to January 1961. [More]