World Paper Money

Here are some hints that 'lead up' to Bank Note Grading

Original written in "1985" by FBNeNotes

Many times you will be amazed at the minor (sometimes major) imperfections that-suddenly- become visable if you take your time and Grade your Notes properly. Using a 40watt lightbulb and holding the Note 8-12 inches below the light(always try to use the same lightsource). Sometimes a beginner may think that a Note has a vertical crease in/on it, but in reality all he/she is seeing is a Security Thread, which is very common in FOREIGN BankNotes. You might also see little colored dots..which are used for security purposes and known as Security Dots aka Planchettes. With experience..you will get used to..just what is what... You might also see little strands of threads..mostly colored, these are Security Threads aka Colored Fibres.. With FOREIGN Bank Notes(non-USA), it should be remembered that we are dealing with many hundreds of different Countries and Monetary Authorities.. of which some used hand written signatures on the face (front) of the Note, mostly pre-1940.. this is Not scribbling, it is most likely mentioned in the catalog.. which you should have a copy of the Latest Standard Catalog of World Paper Money "Modern Issues" that was released.. so you can stay up to date on Pick numbers and changes, new issues, evaluations, information.
There is more to Grading than meets the eye.
To be continued.