How do I find out more about a banknote I can't even read?

This week's question may surprise you.  Even as a supply dealer, I receive phone calls looking for help unrelated to paper money supplies.  The collector said to me: "I have this foreign banknote I just picked up in a collection of banknote albums I just purchased, and I have absolutely no idea what it is.  Any ideas on where I can find out more about it?"

The first and easiest thing you may want to try is a local coin show in your area.  Many dealers, while not specialists in currency, generally have good contacts and cursory knowledge of where they would suggest you to turn.  If you are in an area of the country, or the world for that matter, where there are no shows close by, I would suggest you head to the most knowledgeable currency organizations.  I have provided links below to each of them:

IBNS - International Banknote Society (www.theibns.org)
SPMC - Society of Paper Money Collectors (www.spmc.org)
PCDA - Professional Currency Dealers Association (www.pcdaonline.com)

The first 2 are collector organizations that are non profits and there sole purpose is educate the community.  The PCDA is a dealer organization that could provide you a list of currency dealers that may be in your area within the US.  But either way, the dealers, and collectors are usually more than happy to help. 

In the case of our friends at the IBNS, they even have a forum where you can post an image of your banknote and see if anybody has any ideas.  While I generally can't help, I enjoy reading these forums and seeing some of these unusual items.  These organizations are filled with great members, who thankfully purchase many of our currency albums and currency sleeves.   But I can tell you from personal experience, there are always people who simply love to help identify obscure items.  Plus, you might even make a new friend in the process!

Ultraviolet lamps - why?

This week, a long time coin collector, who recently has started collecting currency, asked me about ultraviolet lamps, and how they are used with Banknotes?

Longwave ultraviolet (or black light) is the popular name for near-ultraviolet radiant energy, which falls just outside the visible spectrum. When it falls upon certain materials, it makes them “fluoresce,” that is, to “emit visible light.” What actually occurs is a conversion of energy. The ultraviolet that is invisible, falls upon the fluorescent surface and is absorbed and re-radiated at longer wavelengths in the visibility range of the human eye. 

I believe that having at least an inexpensive Ultraviolet Lamp is essential to enjoying the hobby to its fullest.  I've been using a UV light since I was a kid.  It really opens up a whole new way of enjoying your collection.  Best of all, you can find all sorts of varieties that are not cataloged - slight variations of color, completely different UV printing on what appears in visible light to be the same note, etc. 

Different countries use different papers and having the UV light is a wonderful to discover the world of UV printed images on notes!  Most countries around the world utilize some form of fluorescent inks/paper to secure their issued currency.  Some are seen using shortwave UV, but most are able to be seen using the less expensive longwave UV light. Some are quite intense and have various colors, while some are quite simple.  Here is a nice sampling of some of UV Banknotes from another IBNS member.

In a future blog, I will try to address watermarking on banknote paper.