Blog

The Ups and Downs of Current Pricing

In this month’s article I will explore the vagaries of pricing along with the calls and emails I get whenever I lower the price on a note in “The Standard Guide to Small Size U.S. Paper Money, 1928 to date” (SGSS). This seems to be a common occurrence with each new edition of the SGSS. Interestingly, however, I don’t remember anyone ever calling to inquire about a price that went up! The question and answer exchange below regarding a specific price decrease caught a SGSS reader a bit off guard. “Scott, Hello. I ordered and have been comparing your 10th edition to the 9th edition.

Read more about The Ups and Downs of Current Pricing

The William Kelly Confederate Paper Money Sale – The Montgomery Collection

I attended the William H. Kelly Confederate paper money sale held in conjunction with the FUN show in Orlando. Heritage auctions conducted the sale on Thursday night, January 5, 2012. We (my wife and I) arrived in Orlando Sunday, New Year’s Day to stay with a long time friend and get a jump on viewing many lots in this sale. Heading to Florida during the winter is always a well anticipated event, especially to see these friends and visit this FUN show.

Read more about The William Kelly Confederate Paper Money Sale – The Montgomery Collection

FUN Show

I had the pleasure of attending the FUN show in Orlando, FLA this past week. It was a very fun and interesting show. Very well attended. I shared corner table 1135 with Colonial and early Americana expert John Kraljevich. My wife and I travelled to Austin TX and New Orleans LA to visit family over the holidays. Over the New Year's weekend, I travelled back to Boston to swap out a lot of clothes and pack up my coins and paper money and headed to Orlando. She would join me a day later early in the week.

Read more about FUN Show

Edwin McMasters Stanton and January 15

January 15, 2012, a date soon to be upon us is actually a very important date. It is the 150th anniversary of the date that President Abraham Lincoln appointed Edwin McMasters Stanton to be his Secretary of war. Stanton replaced Simon Cameron who was dismissed by Lincoln for including in his yearly report the call of freed slaves to be armed and used against the Confederate Army. Stanton was Lincoln's closest adviser during the Civil War. Lincoln described Stanton as “the rock on the beach of our national ocean against which the breakers dash and roar, dash and roar without ceasing.

Read more about Edwin McMasters Stanton and January 15

From One Collector to Another

Just as Scott Lindquist disclaims creative writing cred, I am no blogger. But like Tina Turner’s famous ex once said, “I’ll try anything…one time.” Shawn Hewitt, the patient, resolute slave-driver behind getting this wonderful new site up and at ‘em for the benefit of our members, seems to think that I as President need to say something in blog form. As if anybody really cares what I have to say. And if you do, you can wait a month and a half and read it in Paper Money! As if! Shawn is, of course, right.

Read more about From One Collector to Another

The Importance of a Trusted Price Guide

I never claimed to be a writer, and I still don’t even though and I co-wrote with John Schwartz the “Standard Guide to Small Size U.S. Currency, 1928 to Date”. My writing ‘education’ consists of one course in “Free Writing” taught by Professor Nelson at the illustrious Minot State University, where I earned a four year business degree after dropping out of the geology program because my brain was impermeable to higher math. Prof.

Read more about The Importance of a Trusted Price Guide

Fractional Currency--The Beginning

Hello and welcome to the Fractional Currency (FC) blog. I am excited about blogging about my favorite series of US Currency. I hope to keep it interesting by adding the intriguing along with the historical. If you have any topics of interest, let me know and we will explore it. This blog is just setting up the series. I hope to have a new one posted dealing with an overview of FC soon.

Read more about Fractional Currency--The Beginning

Stacks Bowers Sale Yields Cache of Epic Obsoletes

The recent Stack’s Bowers Galleries official auction of the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Baltimore Expo on November 15 to 19, 2011 netted $15.6 million in total sales. Among the paper money highlights were a cache of 19 obsolete bank notes from Minnesota, four of which are unique and six more that are semi-unique. Practically all the notes are at the top of their census for condition. Described by cataloger Bruce R.

Read more about Stacks Bowers Sale Yields Cache of Epic Obsoletes

Odd Ohio Obsolete Note Surfaces

New things just keep popping up, even after more than 150 years. I recently discovered a new $5.00 note on the Forest City Bank of Cleveland which features a completely different portrait than we had ever seen before; that of Thomas Jefferson. All of the previously seen notes on the bank (primarily proofs), featured the portrait of a man whose identity, ironically, is still unknown. We have always assumed that it was someone associated with the bank or perhaps a local notable. From a close inspection of the note (found on eBay of all places) it's clear that it's the real deal.

Read more about Odd Ohio Obsolete Note Surfaces

WALL STREET BOURSE AT MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FINANCE, OCTOBER 21-22, 2011

How it went... Friday and Saturday were the days of the new Wall St. Bourse show run by John Herzog at the Museum of American Finance. Many of us had a lot of fun at the old Strasburg, Pa show in years gone by and this was John's vision to recreate that community here in New York City. I believe he was successful.

Read more about WALL STREET BOURSE AT MUSEUM OF AMERICAN FINANCE, OCTOBER 21-22, 2011