# tell me about collecting Canadian paper money **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 15, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447 "2011-04-15T04:06:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/1 "2011-04-15T04:06:39Z")
I happened to have a few minutes to kill the other day in a mall, and wandered into a gold - coins - paper money collecting shop. Seeing some of the older Canadian bank notes on display (sadly, including some I recognised from my youth :eek: ), made we wonder if it might be fun to try to collect old bank notes. Are there any good sources out there to help me learn the essentials? what do I look for in determining if a note is good quality? how much do they run for, above the face value? how do you store them - should it be in a safe deposit box (sort of defeats the fun of collecting, I would have thought). Any thoughts / comments? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/2 "2011-04-15T04:39:22Z")
Check out [these folks](http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/), and [their forum](http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/forum/). Apparently there are people who buy bricks of money and look for specific serial numbers… ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/3 "2011-04-15T04:45:24Z")
I’m sure that **samclem** will arrive in short order but… My first suggestion would be to check out a paper money catalog like [this](http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Catalog-World-Paper-Money/dp/1440215847/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b). Public libraries often have copies. If not you can usually buy past editions (prices for common issues don’t tend to fluctuate much) at a significant discount. The introductory material in the catalog should provide a decent overview of the hobby. There are all kinds of specialized albums like [this](http://www.safepub.com/sections/currency-albums-collecting-supplies-paper-money/currency-albums) that can be used for storage. As for the mark up above face, just as with other collectibles condition is everything with uncirculated notes commanding a stiff premium. But generally speaking, I’d say that common money from the last 50 years or so can usually be gotten in very fine condition at 10-20% above face depending on the particulars. Remember to always take values listed in catalogs with a grain of salt… checking ebay or [delcampe.net](http://delcampe.net) will give you a better idea of what the “real” market value is. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/4 "2011-04-15T13:33:33Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Check out [these folks](http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/), and [their forum](http://www.cdnpapermoney.com/forum/). Apparently there are people who buy bricks of money and look for specific serial numbers… Wow - they seem even more obsessive and detail-oriented than people who post on the [del]SDMB[/del] .. er, I mean, on some message board I hang out on. Thanks for the links! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/5 "2011-04-15T13:34:35Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > My first suggestion would be to check out a paper money catalog like [this](http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Catalog-World-Paper-Money/dp/1440215847/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b). Public libraries often have copies. If not you can usually buy past editions (prices for common issues don’t tend to fluctuate much) at a significant discount. The introductory material in the catalog should provide a decent overview of the hobby. There are all kinds of specialized albums like [this](http://www.safepub.com/sections/currency-albums-collecting-supplies-paper-money/currency-albums) that can be used for storage. Thanks! that’s also very helpful! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/6 "2011-04-19T03:38:31Z")
well, by coincidence, there was a coin-stamp-notes show on this past weekend. I went to it and enjoyed seeing all the old bank notes (including a $2 from the 1935 series, with Queen Mary, retailing for $2500!) I think I’m going to dig into this more, although it looks like it can be a pricey hobby… at least it’s quieter than my other hobby… ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/7 "2011-05-08T03:01:49Z")
Can anyone help me theses terms? On this [web-site](http://www.coinsandcanada.com/bank-notes-prices.php?notes=Issues_of_2004_to_2006&id_cat=26) that gives the values for various Canadian bank-notes, it shows the value of the bills going up with the improved condition of the note: > [@](#): > > ```auto > > Description G VG F VF EF AU Unc > > ``` I would think these abbreviations mean: G Good VG Very Good F Fine VF Very Fine EF Extra Fine Unc Uncirculated. But what does AU stand for? Also, what characteristics of the note do they look at determine the grade of a note? There must be some sort of objective list of factors? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/8 "2011-05-08T03:10:08Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Can anyone help me theses terms? > > On this [web-site](http://www.coinsandcanada.com/bank-notes-prices.php?notes=Issues_of_2004_to_2006&id_cat=26) that gives the values for various Canadian bank-notes, it shows the value of the bills going up with the improved condition of the note: > > I would think these abbreviations mean: > > G Good > VG Very Good > F Fine > VF Very Fine > EF Extra Fine > Unc Uncirculated. > > But what does AU stand for? Almost Uncirculated. > [@](#): > > Also, what characteristics of the note do they look at determine the grade of a note? There must be some sort of objective list of factors? Start out imagining a note that just got printed. Perfect in every way. That’s uncirculated. Fold it in half, just once. Still crisp, but now has a fold. That’s almost uncirculated. Let’s say you fold it in the middle, then fold it again. So now, you have three vertical folds, but it still has all the body and crispness of a new note. In the old days, this was EF. Now give it a few more random folds through handling. It still has good body and color. VF Circulate it for a few more weeks/months, now it’s starting to get a bit limp. Fine. VG is one that is still whole, not torn, not written on, but is getting pretty soft with all the wear/folds. Good is bottom of the barrel, torn, stained, pretty ugly. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/9 "2011-05-08T03:10:42Z")
Almost Uncirculated ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/10 "2011-05-08T03:13:44Z")
thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/11 "2011-05-08T03:27:50Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Good is bottom of the barrel, torn, stained, pretty ugly. So there’s grade inflation in assessing notes? What’s worse than “Good”? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/12 "2011-05-08T05:49:23Z")
While I hesitate to disagree with **sam** on a question of numismatics, some references define AU as “About Uncircumated” – i.e., in a condition approximately as good as an uncirculated coin (or bill) would be, but taken from circulation or otherwise such that uncirculated status is difficult or impossible to prove. Very much a sliver-of-difference nitpick, but worth noting. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2011, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/13 "2011-05-08T05:51:30Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > So there’s grade inflation in assessing notes? What’s worse than “Good”? Fair and Poor are the two lowest grades, for limited-mintage coins that circulated heavily. I’ve never seen them used for high-denomination coins or for paper money, though I won’t state outright they aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/14 "2011-05-17T19:51:32Z")
The 1935 Canadian series had a $500 bill and a $1,000 bill. According to [this valuation](http://www.coinsandcanada.com/bank-notes-prices.php?notes=Issues_of_1935&id_cat=14), the $500 has a much higher collectible value than the $1,000. The $500 starts at $12,500 for Good, going up to a quarter million dollars for Uncirculated. The $1,000 bill starts at $1,850 for Good, and tops out at $12,500 for Uncirculated. Why such a difference? The only thing I can think of is that the Bank of Canada may not have issued many of the $500 notes. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-collecting-canadian-paper-money/578447/15 "2011-05-17T23:26:16Z")
Yep. It’s almost always a function number printed.