Mid-grade train note with "washed" numbers

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Ok so I know this board is quite unbiased and conservative. So I would like some opinions on this train note. The only thing that bothers me is the "8" on the left series number being washed away. Not sure how that affects the value...

Is it just me or does it look like someone tried to draw in the faded 8 and botched the job?

I don't see any impact on the value for the note.  This is common occurence on old notes from wear and tear and of course where or how the note was store over the years. Its still an absolutely beautiful note. One that i could never afford  . I'd grade it as F and its a DC-21e i believe? I would price it at $1,400.

Would you take me seriously this note is actually slabbed in as a PMG VF-25. I didn't show the slab so that I could get unbiased opinions.

I think it could make at least a VF-20... with the strong corners, edges and level of circulation. The only thingthat concerns me is the washed look. But then again it would have been graded higher.

It does not surprise me that PMG would grade it as such, but then PMG doesn't elaborate on the standards it uses.  PMG-25 could mean anything.  I could invent a grading company and if you give me $50, I'll call your note AU-50 if you want.  As long as I'm not telling you anything about how I arrive at that grade, I'm not doing anything really different from PMG.

Your note may be firm like a Canadian VF+ (or it may not), but technical grade is just one aspect when considering value.  Another poster thinks it looks Fine, and that opinion is probably based more on the look of the note than anything else because I'm sure he didn't see the note in person and assess its firmness.  So the aesthetic grade is probably lower than the technical grade, and I would agree that the value of the note would be well below the technical grade's catalogue price.