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CaptBrian

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Journal Entries posted by CaptBrian

  1. CaptBrian
    It's now the end of March, one of the wackiest months in my life and probably yours and perhaps in history of the modern world.  Plagues have been with us since the beginning and I suppose this isn't gonna be the last one unless we all go down with it.  But, not here to discuss our future, but the present.  Seems as though everything except the graders have gone home, and I bet their number of coins and paper money has dropped quite a bit as only electronic trading is happening. All the venues I go to are shut down for the foreseeable future, and my website hasn't had a hit in 2 weeks.  I thought maybe with folks stuck inside, perhaps more would be looking at the site, www.exonumiaandmore.com but no such luck.  
    I'm working with a company who puts up sites, so I cannot edit it until they finish with their legal beagles and so on and so forth.  So,I thought I'd talk about what I am doing to keep me off the streets looking for paper money blowing in the wind.
    A while back, I bought a stash of uncertified notes, mostly $2 modern FRN's  If you care to go to my site, you can see a few, and also I put a few on eBay and will add more when Tomorrow comes.  I put so many up, I ran out of free postings, so I have to wait til tomorrow. See captbrian2.  Is it illegal here to putup my locations of info. Hope not.
    Anyway, these $2's are of many sorts.  Fancy serial #'s, error notes, and so on. One of them, I especially like (the blue book shows it at $700+-, and it is with 3 other notes.  What happens is, the third printing, (the serial # & seal) are submitting to gravity, then fighting it.  The 1st note is where it should be (the serial #) then the 2nd note has it dropping down a bit. and the 4th, it begins to defy gravity and starts self correcting back up to where it belongs.  I have never seen a set like this, and I have talked with others who have seen similar, but it is quite rare from what I can get from the paper money community.  Anyway, I will try to post the pictures. 
    I always have incredible trouble posting pictures on these journals, but I'll give 'er a spin.
    No luck with picture. I'm gonna publish this then try to add in pictures.
     
  2. CaptBrian
    Jan 14, 2020
    JUST back from the FUN show in Orlando.  Put in another set just finished(for grading by PMG).  Hope to get it back quick, but I bet they're backed up 2 months minimum, so I'll just go on a coupla cruises and check the mail when I get back.  serial #'s 00000082*, not quite as low as my 00000039*, but hoping for good grading. One of them has a terrible margin cut, almost no margin, so thats gonna be a 62 or three.  As long as they all come back UNC, I'll be happy.  Anyway, I'll upload pictures when I get them back.
    My table had an excellent location as it was in the front row, all the way to the left as you enter, and directly across from the NGC & PMG tables lining the east wall.  So everyone had to go past me to get to them.  We were swamped. People were actually running in the front door, and to NGC and PMG for grading.  After the crowds dissapated, and I was able to kabitz with them, I got a lot of great info regarding grading and NGC's services.  They're great people.
    One of my adventures, was, I finished getting together another district set like my 2003 $2 District set #00000039*, but with a little higher serial #, 00000082*.  Now my other district set, --39*, has Marin's signature making a nice courtesy autograph pedigree, so I was thinking, what the heck, maybe one of the treasurer's or secretary to the treasurer, might be there and sign these notes, and that would be neato.  Imagine, havin' 2 sets of 2's signed by the treasurer of the USA.  Anyway, I went to the huge Treasury's booth, and asked who may be in attendance and none of the notables would be coming.  Too bad,  collectors LOVE to have the current treasurer sign their notes.  Anyway, I never give up easy.  I asked, "Could I leave them with you and you get them signed and then mail them back, and I'd pay any expenses.  NO WAY!!  LOL, they just don't do that.
    So, I was talking to four people there, one in regular clothes, one sheriff (A treasury agent officer in uniform) a suit(one of the big deals with the treasury but he downplayed his position), and a lady.  As we joked around, (I was trying to loosen them up so I could get them to jump through my hoop) but to no avail.  BUT...  Not going to give up easy, I asked is there any luminary there which would be important.  To which they said no. Most of this conversation was talking to the fellow in regular clothing and near the end of my saga, I asked who he was and he said, "I only designed the package the notes came in."
    Now that restoked my fires for fame and fortune and I asked if he would sign the notes, and I would see if PMG would grade them with a "courtesy autograpy' note on the holder.  NOT SO FAST!!!
    So I went to PMG and asked if they would do it.  1st, everyone I asked said no, then at the last, the fellow in charge of the 'get your money graded' table said, I need to get authorization from PMG management. He said he'd email and ask, so I went off to call them.  NOT SO FAST, by now, Thursday afternoon, they were closed.  So... I waited until the next day, and called in, put on hold and never did really get an answer, got disconnected.  Being the PMG manager said he'd email home base, I figured he'd get the answer first.  SO.....  Later that day, he flags me down and says YES, we can do it  BUT, he has to come over here and we have to witness that.  "GREAT!", I yell out.  
    So, I race over to the Treasury booth, and spout the big news!!  "I won, I won", says I.  At that same instant the suit woman says, holding a little book, "We can't do it."  "It would be defacing government property".  And she hands me the book, and with a the greatest face of dismay, I lost the war.  Won the battle, lost the war.
    BUT...,  I did get Brian Brown, the designer of the package the notes came in from the mint to sign inside the book for me.  I bet I'm the only one who has that in the 2000 packages made by the mint.  Neato huh.  Well, lost the war, but 'got a medal', doncha think?
    So, I put them in for grading, and when I get them back, I'm gonna see if PMG will allow some points for the book signing.   (never give up)
    My web site has great pictures, and as soon as I get them back from PMG, I'll post them.  
    www.exonumiaandmore.com   
    Happy collecting, and NEVER GIVE UP!!!  The pot of gold at the end IS there!
    Capt. B
  3. CaptBrian
    Hello collectors...  (unless you work for the IRS)
       I have been watching for more district sets and the ones I come across, even at the big auction houses like HA and S & B, are just one similar note from each district, with no great serial numbers or anything really connecting them except they are 'one from each district'  
       I buy a set of district notes with fancy serial #'s, then wait to meet one of the government agents who works in some capacity with the Treasury department.  Then I ask them to sign each note, THEN I have them graded.  I love doing that.
       I currently have a neato set of 2003 $2 notes, with the serial #'s 00000082* (with a star). And the package they came in from the mint.  I heard of a dealer who saw the set with ser. # 00000001, but it went into a collection and hasn't been seen since.  Hate to think what that is worth.  
       I also have a graded set signed by a Treasury personage you all know, Marin...  This is also a $2 district set with a double digit serial # 00000039*
       I have not gone to the Mint or Bureau of printing because I like to 'run across' these sets in my travels to many coin and currency venues.  I do know of another set, but the fellow wants way too much.  
       I then go to the PMG population reports and put a note on each one to see if I have any one of a kind, or pops at least under 10.  I find, that most people buy these sets and never have them graded, or touchy feely them for a while before grading, they they come back basically a very low grade. I have seen some of these notes come back with a 25.  That HAD to be messed with by someone who doesn't know how to handle (or NOT HANDLE) currency.
       We are just not able to see well enough with our eyes; we MUST touch something.  Anyway, don't do that.
    Just wanted to note; the populations of these are quite small making this set 'rare'.  Now if you just simply go to the pop reports for the correct notes, find the one of the set which has the lowest population and that # is the # of sets that can have a 'top pop' or 'finest known' designation.  Now the collector's society nor PMG nor the mint nor anyone else designates any particular set as 'finest known' but the population of the notes in the set DOES define that "slot".  If you check the populations for this set, you will see, it is a 'FINEST KNOWN".  
    Now that and 10C.....  you know what I mean, but it's fun to have so many top pops in one set.  
    I have a double district set which will be the focus of a future journal.  Wait for it.
     
    Hope you enjoy the pictures and the prattle.
    Capt. Brian
       
  4. CaptBrian

    Dollars to Donuts

    By CaptBrian,

    DOLLARS TO DONUTS
         I have been collecting coins for about 62 years.  Six years ago I began looking at currency as many coin dealers had both coins and currencies.
         I first became interested in currency when I inspected (for the first real-time) the reverse of the $2 bill.  The closer I inspected it, the more amazed I became in the ‘art’ of engraving.  All those people on the reverse of the $2 gave amazement to me that someone poured over an engraving plate with a jeweler’s loop and turned out a work of art rivaling any of the oil, watercolor and canvas artists.  In fact, after going to myriad art shows and auctions, I believe the ‘two’ could be one of the greatest works of man.
         Then I look at some of the tapestries, Sistine Chapel in Rome and I am also amazed at the talent involved there.
         So, being that coins have been my ‘thing’ for so many years, and I don’t like having a van follow me to shows, I decided to stick with coins and add a few currency items to broaden my horizons.
         I am a member of several coin, currency and collectible clubs and am not a real good member, because I don’t attend the meetings and activities as a good member should, but I started while earning a living and now that I’m retired, I am loathe to change my ways.
    BUT…, I do intend to continue my knowledge base and will, when possible share certain gems with you as I have time and deem them interesting.  Soooo…. To start this journal: 
     
          I began my currency experience at the FUN Show in Orlando about 6 years ago, when my table mate had a client come up and had a fistful of CGA notes.  He wanted my mate to see if any were worth crossing over to PCGS.  Well, he had quite a collection and at the show, PCGS would have them back the next day and so we did it. 
          At that time, it was about $20 to cross one note and like I said, he had a lot of them. Neither he nor my mate had the cash on hand, so I handed over a stack of $100’s,(more than I like to think) and the next morning they were on our table, and a few hours later, the table was besieged by collectors and by the time we went home that Sunday, the table was cleaned out of currency while my coins held a distant 2nd.   
          My table was the 2nd most successful table at the show, all the others were tied for 1st. 
          So, before we closed out the show, the client, my mate and I agreed to meet about a week later and see what the client had to sell. 
          To make a long story short, I bought 89 pieces (all in CGA label) [knowing at that time, the CGA label were stinkers), I carefully looked through them and was enthralled with the fancy serial #’s and in fact, for the most part, what appeared to be desirable and collectible.  (evan though they were mostly modern items.) 
          I had these notes for a time, and nothing moved as all were concerned about the CGA label.  
          So, with that being said, I deemed it necessary, if I were to get any ‘action’ on my inventory, I needed to cross to PMG or PCGS.
          For no good reason, I leaned towards NGC for my coins, and that led me to PMG for currency.
          That led me to my first real study of currency because being that it costs around $20 to grade one, [plus expenses such as mail, insurance and other charges which allows the Post Office and NGC to have such beautiful buildings].
          I then went to the books and references to ascertain which were worth grading, and which were better off holding in CGA. 
          Of the 89 items, 60 odd were worth cross grading and so I did.  As expected, the CGA items dropped 1 or two grades, (never 3 or more) so I did pretty good. 
          I am reticent at putting these up for sale, and I have great fun showing these at various venues for coin and currency clubs and shows. 
    What I am going to do with these will be the subject of my next journal.  But for now, I hope you enjoyed this one.
     
    Capt. Brian
  5. CaptBrian

    BABE IN THE WOODS

    By CaptBrian,

    HELP! HELP!! HELP!!!
    Hello fellow collectors. I JUST got my first real set of paper money. In fact, I got a few sets. BUT, they are all in CGA holders, and before I go and send them all into PMG for re-holdering and grading, (for which I may need to go back to work to pay for) I need to know how to get the bid and ask for these new adoptees of mine. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.
    Capt. Brian

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  6. CaptBrian
    New Note Notifications for the Novice
    Well I have just entered the exciting world of collecting notes, currency, or paper money as it is called in the trade.
    I recently purchased 89 notes graded by CGA the olde, and as we all know that holder is not from the promised land, but a grader which fell into the lower regions for various reasons.
    I got two books on paper money; my favorite so far is the Whitman Encyclopedia of U.S. Paper Money. My send favorite is Paper Money of the United States by Friedberg. There is a third one which I use at shows for quick ID'ing and evaluations.
    Unfortunately, like Morgan Silver Dollars, there are so durn many varities of monies that it is a challenge every day trying to figure the value of odd notes.
    This first foray into paper money began with a small collection purchased from a fellow who was changing horses mid-stream so I relieved him of the 89 pieces.
    There were 65 of the 89 worth re-grading and I just got back the main stash information today, and will receive them physically in the mail in a day or two. I will then upload pictures and complete phase two of this journal with as many pictures as I can raise up.
    The excitement here is in the fact these notes are of special interest due to special serial numbers, star notes, signed notes and so on and so forth.
    Four sets of them, 12 each, are one from each district with exactly the same serial numbers. One set is particularly captivating in that not only are the serial numbers all the same, but one from each district, and the serial numbers are 00001111. Some computer geek will slobber all over the album just ogling it.
    Two more of the sets also have neato serial numbers, and one from each district and the fourth set, my favorite, is one which has one from each district, and the serial number 00000039 plus they are star notes, all of them, and the fact they are signed by the mint director also.
    The others which I shall talk about later are all fun, and some more beguiling than others.
    Well, happy searching hope you find a treasure soon.
    The picture is pre-PMG grading, I will change it later.
    Capt. Brian

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  7. CaptBrian

    Getting values of notes

    By CaptBrian,

    Just got a stack
    How do I price graded currency, various graders mostly CGA?
    Any help please.
    Capt. Brian
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