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PAPER MONEY VALUES

BUYING PAPER MONEY

ALL NEWFOUNDLAND GOVERNMENT CASH NOTES ARE SCARCE

Did you know that one of the most collectible markets today is old paper money. Your paper money doesn’t have to be old to be valuable. There is a collector market for scarce prefixes, solid serial numbers and error notes of all  types.

The notes we are most interested in are old Newfoundland notes that are printed with “Newfoundland Government Cash Note”,   “Union Bank of Newfoundland” or “Commercial Bank of Newfoundland” Very often, we get calls from people who mistake their old Bank of Canada notes for Newfoundland Paper Money. If the note has Queen Elizabeth on it or the words Bank of Canada, it is not Newfoundland Paper Money.

1937 Bank of Canada Notes – are attractive and can be valuable in crisp condition

Generally speaking, the best notes are those issued from 1935 and earlier or Chartered Bank Notes (which are notes that were issued by the private banks.)

We are strong buyers of all notes, especially:

  • Union Bank of Newfoundland
  • Commercial Bank of Newfoundland
  • Government of Newfoundland
  • Royal Bank of Canada
  • Bank of Nova Scotia
  • Canadian Bank of Commerce
  • Bank of Montreal
  • Molson’s Bank
  • Bank of Ottawa
  • All Dominion of Canada Notes
  • All Chartered banknotes

Give us a call and let us make you an offer.

The most important factor in determining the value of a banknote is most often condition. There are thousands of different note issues which are far too numerous to list individually, instead, we have highlighted the notes which most often show up in Newfoundland. If you have something you are unsure of, we have many catalogues highlighting every Newfoundland and Canadian banknote ever listed, so drop us a line, we will be able to help.

BANKNOTE VALUES

  • Dominion of Canada notes – all are scarce with the exception of the 1923 $1 and the small 25 cent notes issued in 1870, 1900 and 1923 (commonly referred to as shinplasters) which most often are worth about $5 each.
  • Pre 1935 Canadian notes – all are scarce in good condition
  • 1935 Issue – all are scarce in good condition

THE FOLLOWING NOTES ARE SCARCE – IF YOU FIND THEM CALL US

  • 1937 $1 – Narrow signature panel (H/A or J/A prefix), Obsourne/Towers signatures
  • 1937 $2 – Obsourne/Towers signatures in good condition
  • 1937 $5 – Obsourne/Towers signatures
  • 1937 $10 – Obsourne/Towers signatures, notes with Z/D prefix
  • 1937 $20 – Obsourne/Towers signatures
  • 1937 $50 – Obsourne/Towers signatures, in mint condition any of these can be valuable
  • 1937 $100 – Obsourne/Towers signatures
  • 1937 $1000 – Only Obsourne/Towers signatures notes issued – all are scarce

In 1954, a new design was issued for Canadian banknotes. On the first notes issued, the highlighted areas in the Queen’s hair produced the illusion of what looked like a Devil’s face (thus these notes became known as Devil’s Face notes). This produced a lot of controversy which resulted in the hair design being modified. (known today as modified notes).

In addition, in 1954 an asterisk(*) was placed in front of the serial number of notes that were printed to replace notes that were damaged or spoiled by the banknote companies in production , or spoiled by Bank of Canada officials during signing. These notes are commonly called replacement notes.

  • 1954 Devil’s face notes – all denominations are worth a premium especially if in crisp condition
  • 1954 $1 – Devil’s face note with an asterisk (prefix A/A)
  • 1954 $2 – – Devil’s face note with an asterisk (prefix A/B)
  • 1954 $5 – – Devil’s face note with an asterisk (prefix A/C)
  • 1954 $10 – – Devil’s face note with an asterisk (prefix A/D)
  • 1954 $20 – – Devil’s face note with an asterisk (prefix A/E)
  • 1954 Modified Portrait: – none are scarce unless crisp or they have the following prefixes:
  • 1954 $1 – Replacement note with prefix V/V or C/I
  • 1954 $2 – Replacement note with prefix (Z/Z), Signatures Beattie /Rasminsky with prefix G/R, Bouey/ Rasminsky signature with prefix S/R, Lawson/ Bouey signature with prefix S/R
  • 1954 $5 – Replacement notes in crisp uncirculated condition
  • 1954 $10 – Replacement notes in crisp uncirculated condition (prefix U/T or B/V in any condition)
  • 1954 $20 – Replacement notes in crisp uncirculated condition or notes with prefix V/E in any condition)
  • 1973 $1 – Most of these notes are common but watch for the following as they are scarce: Signature Lawson Bouey replacement note with prefix A/A with serial number above 5 million , A/B , F/B , F/H or M/D
  • 1974 $2 – Most of these notes are common but watch for the following as they are scarce: Signature Lawson Bouey replacement note with prefix B/C with serial number above 1.9 Million
  • 1972 $5 – Lawson Bouey Signature with prefix R/S
  • 1971 $10- Beattie Rasminsky Signature replacement note with prefix D/E, Bouey Rasminsky Signatures replacement note with prefix D/X, Laswon Bouey signatures with prefix EET, Laswon Bouey replacement note with prefix EDX.
  • 1969 $20 – Lawson Bouey replacement note with prefix W/A – very rare!, All replacement notes in crips condition are scarce
  • 1975 $50 – Lawson Bouey signatures with EHX prefix in high grade
  • 1975 $100 – Lawson Boeuy signatures with prefix AJX in high grade
  • 1979 $5 – Lawson Bouey signature with serial number starting in “33”
  • 1979 $20 – Notes are only collectible in mint condition
  • 1986 $2 – Thiessen Crow signature with AUG or AUH prefix – very rare, AUJ prefix is scarce
There are many more issues of modern notes which are scarce. If you have some you would like to check out beyond the notes listed here you can buy a price guide at most good bookstores or drop us a line and we can mail one to you.
  • Other Special notes that we see on a regular basis that you might have and are scarce:
  • Mismatched Serial Numbers (different numbers on each side) $100 and up.
  • Solid numbered notes (all the same number in the serial number)
  • Million Numbered notes (1 number followed by all zeros in the serial number)
  • Low Serial numbered notes (all zeros with 1 or 2 digits on the end ex. 000000021)
  • Printing Errors (parts of note misprinted)
  • Offset notes (25% of the note has no printing or it shows part of another note)
  • Optical devices, signatures, serial numbers in the wrong place
  • Cutting Errors
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