Handling Your Currency
Many new collectors, as well as those that do not consider themselves collectors at all, are unaware of the proper handling of collectable paper money (including any 2013 star notes you may have). A recent incident in which someone new to collecting tried to 'clean' their bill resulted in damage to their bill and certainly devalued the value of both the bill itself and the matched pair the bill belonged to. 😞
Long story short: if your bill has any pen or pencil markings or writing of any kind on it, DO NOT USE AN ERASER. Do not attempt to make your bill look better in any manner.
Here is a list of other precautions you should take when handling any kind of paper money whose value is more than its face value (i.e. numismatic value):
1) NEVER FOLD YOUR BILL. If you plan to ever sell your bill, particularly at an auction, you will need to have your bill graded (certified). This is a requirement of most auction houses, but you will generally get a better price as well if your bill is graded. What differentiates a bill in poor condition to one that is considered perfect (a grade of 70 on the 0 to 70 scale) is directly impacted by the number of folds or creases in the bill. Dog eared corners, corners that around rounded by wear and tear, soiling, tears, cuts and holes (Yikes!) all conspire to lessen your banknote's grade which is directly tied to it's value.
... and don't do this either!
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| WikiHow to ruin your bill |
2) Do not attempt to repair a bill. Never use an eraser. Do not bleach your bill to make it appear newer. NEVER use scotch tape to repair a bill! Just don't
3) Handle with gloves... literally. Particularly bills that appear to be brand new. Everyone has oils on their fingerprints, and these get transferred to the banknote whenever it is touched. The oils further degrade the bill by attracting dust and dirt. If you don't want to get gloves then try to hand the bills by just the edges. It is recommended that you wear soft cotton or nitrile gloves.
| 20 pairs cotton gloves | 3 pairs cotton gloves | 100 Nitrile gloves | 1000 Nitrile gloves |
|---|---|---|---|
 
https://amzn.to/45hBGzF |
 
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4) Do not iron your bill!
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| Another WikiHow horror. |
5) Do not attempt to clean your bill with a brush. It is not a horse. It is not a shoe. Paper and the inks on them are delicate.
6) If storing banknotes in a plastic holder or plastic pages, make sure they are made of inert material that are non-PVC and are acid-free. Some examples of currency sleeves and pages that meet these criteria are in the Currency Collecting Supplies section of Collector Resources on this website.
| 170 pints | 125 pints | 70 pints | 25 pints |
|---|---|---|---|
 
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- the banknote should NOT be touching the glass (place a matboard around the note).
- The matboard should be acid-free and lignin-free.
- Colored matboard should be colorfast; you don't want the matboard to have its color 'run' if the mat happens to get wet, and end up staining your banknote.
- Choose UV glass that will filter out UV light, but be aware that even visible light can cause damage over time, so avoid exposing banknotes to high levels of either natural or artificial light.
- The back matboard should also be good-quality, acid- and lignin-free and colorfast.
- The front and back mats should be taped together using a gummed linen tape. Acidic materials such as masking tape should be avoided.
- Avoid "Dry mounting" the banknote. Place the banknote if a sleeve/mylar pocket and adhere that pocket to the backside mat using 3M 415 archival-quality self-adhesive tape.
- .... maybe just don't frame it.
CONDITION IS EVERYTHING
To illustrate the various points made above, here is an example of an 1899 bill that is a favorite among collectors (The Black Eagle Bill). As the grade falls, watch the price the bill received at auction.
First up is a bill that is considered almost perfect. A perfect grade of 70 was missed by just 1. It might of missed being graded perfect by something as minor as the printing of the bill not being centered with full margins on all 4 sides of the bill. At these very high grades it is more about the print quality with the paper quality and condition being assumed perfect (hence PPQ... Perfect Paper Quality).
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| Hi, I sold for $46,500 |
Next up is a bill that graded a 65 with that grade called Gem Uncirculated. Evidence of "light handling" is allowed in this grade. The difference between grade 65 and 69 is pretty subtle. Can you tell the difference? I can't (especially when dealing with photos).
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| Because I am not a 69, I sold for $12,650 |
From bills that the layman would simply call "crisp and brand new", we enter the circulated grades. This one grades a 55, which is also called "About Uncirculated"... or as I like to say," something seems a little circulated about this...." As PMG describes it: A typical 55 will either be a banknote with a horizontal fold (which is longer than a vertical fold because it spans across the length of the note) or a harder vertical fold. Two lighter folds or one normal fold with additional excessive handling can arrive at a 55 as well.
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| Oh,oh. Value has plumetted to $2400. |
Next up we go down quite a few grades to 25. The change in value is not as exponential as it is in the high grades, but not trivial either. A grade of 25 is called "Very Fine". A 25 will have typical VF-20 level folds, but they will be harder and distract the eye. Yet, there will still be plenty of “snap” left to the body of the paper; a 25 with minor issues could end up as a 20. So even at these lower grades there is quite a bit of room for interpretation between collectors and novices. What amount of fold distracts your eye? What is the right amount of "snap"?
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| Still looks decent to me, but alas, only $1200 |
Up next bill quality starts getting very poor. Although graded "Fine" (15), there is nothing fine about this one to me. On the left at some point was a repair attempt using tape. It might of "looked" okay when first taped up, but as years go by the tape and its glue age, and discolor the bill. I'd argue the bill would of looked better with no tape and the bill being in 2 pieces. This is a spot filler in your collection at best.
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| Sold for $44. The cost to grade the bill was probably $30 or more. |
I always found the names used for lower grades a bit funny. The bill graded a 10, or "Very Good". Multiple tape jobs, tears, HOLES, ragged edges, heavy folds, and very worn/rounded corners. Perhaps it is "Very Good" that you can even still read the serial number at this point.
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| This one sold for $18. Probably someone who simply wanted to be able to say they own and 1899 Silver Certificate at their local numismatic club (but avoid talking about its condition). |
Here's what a bill graded as a 4 looks like, otherwise known as "Good". I think the grading company didn't follow their own description in this one, but then again I am no expert (but I do play one on TV).
Good: Banknotes at this level will show a lot of wear to the design throughout and small missing pieces will be the norm. Larger pieces missing will likely result in a grade of 3.
I guess it is "good" in that we can still tell it was a dollar bill.
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| I sold for $15 despite meeting the Cookie Monster. |
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| Somehow I managed to get sold for $25. |
For member of Project 2013B, do not expect to find a brand new crisp 2013 star note that grades 65 or higher in circulation. If you do, it would be some bizarre event like some kid taking a high grade note from "Dad's collection", and handing it to you at his front door where you just happen to be selling chocolates for your school's fundraiser. Not to mention the kid having the cleanest hands in the world and not folding the bill to put in his pocket.
Do not be disheartened. On May 5th, 2023 a matched pair of what has been the lowest graded pair to go to auction, fetched the owners of the bills $5,500. One bill graded a 40, and the other graded only 25. Here is a closeup of the lower graded George.
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| George looking a little rough after a night of drinking and harlots |
The rarity of a duplicate serial number pair can make up for some bills being in lower grades, but I hope this article has shown that you must do everything to avoid lowering the bills grade once it is in your hands (whether you bought it, found it, or whatever).
SHIPPING
Protecting your bill also applies when mailing it! Whether it is being mailed to have it graded, or you have sold it to someone, you should protect it from the perils of shipping. Ship it in one of those stiff 'stay flat' mailers, NOT a bubble mailer. Here are some visual instructions I found on the internet:
papermoneywanted.com - How to Pack and Ship Paper Money
This is pretty good, but I would of folded a piece of paper to make a 'flap' to slide over the top of the envelope (to replace the flap that was cut off ). If somehow the bill shifted out of the envelope it would encounter the paper, and not the edge where it might contact the inner edge of the tape's gunk if the two pieces of cardboard where taped together sloppily at that edge of the cardboards. I also would of made the cardboard pieces larger so that there is a good inch of clearance around the envelope with the 2 short sides of the envelope taped to one of the card board pieces so the envelope stays in the centre of the cardboard area... preferably with some non gluey tape like painter's tape. But that's just OCD me.
| 6x8 Stay Flat | 7x9 Stay Flat | 7.5x9.45 Stay Flat | 9x12 Stay Flat |
|---|---|---|---|
 
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The best would be for the bill to be in a holder/sleve before it goes into the envelope. Holders are something you should probably have for any collectable bills you have, whether you are shipping them or not.
HOLDERS
