Neat story.

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I was working yesterday (Paramedic) and I was talking to one of my elderly patients who was searching through his bill fold for his health card.

While scrambling through his mess of cards, I noticed a shinplaster. Since his medical concern was not serious, I asked him about it. I'm not into these notes, but it looked in pretty good shape. Right below it though, was a 1935 $2 note. I asked if I could take it out and look at the condition and serial number. It was in pretty good shape with a non-interesting A series number. On the back side though, it was pretty faded as it has likely been in the same position for years...likely absorbing moisture from the leather bill fold.

He thought it would be only worth about $2. I told him I figured close to $100. He is a fairly wealthy man so this really didn't faze him. Meanwhile, I'm drooling at the mouth.

If only he was unconscious...!!

Ok, relax...I'm just kidding.  

Pretty neat find though.  

While scrambling through his mess of cards, I noticed a shinplaster. Since his medical concern was not serious, I asked him about it. I'm not into these notes, but it looked in pretty good shape. Right below it though, was a 1935 $2 note. I asked if I

This reminds me of a story that my friend told me. He was standing in line in the grocery store, and this elderly man was in front of him. At the register, he reached into his wallet and pulled out this 1954 banknote to pay for his groceries! Apparently, the cashier puzzled over it for a second, then accepted it.

Another friend of mine (a currency collector) had a friend who worked for a hotel. An elderly man came to pay for something, and he used a 1935-era banknote! (I think it was a $20). The hotel friend set aside the 1935 note, and saved it for my currency friend (what a great friend, eh?   )

One can only imagine the numismatic nirvana present in the wallets of elderly people everywhere!  

Well, a couple of summers ago, this elderly lady at Wal-mart paid for some stuff in electronics with 1967 $1 notes (with serial #s) and 1973 $1 notes all in UNC. I was standing behind her. So when it was my turn, I wanted to buy the older notes from the cashier, but he wouldn't let me have them because he wanted them. (I'm not sure if they can do that while they are working?) but I was pretty disappointed. Later he told me he asked the lady where she got all the bills from, she said she had lots. But I bet by now she spent them all.

Sometimes I get lucky and some older people bring old notes to the bank for deposit, sometimes a widow will bring in their entire late husbands collection for deposit. That's where my teller friends acquire a lot of the bills I got for my collection.

I worked at a cash many years back, a guy paid with a 1969 $20 bill *WF note... i kept it and switched it with one of my 20's... the advantage of working at a cash.  

One can only imagine the numismatic nirvana present in the wallets of elderly people everywhere!  

I guess it is one thing to "carry" an old note around (heck, I have a couple of old ones in my wallet...for good luck), but it seems a sad state for some our seniors when they have to start spending their collection just to survive.

I guess it is one thing to "carry" an old note around (heck, I have a couple of old ones in my wallet...for good luck), but it seems a sad state for some our seniors when they have to start spending their collection just to survive.

I don't think the seniors in question recognize the value of the notes they carry, as there was a time in their lives when everyone used them. For example, during my lifetime, the multicoloured (1969-1979) series, Birds series, and now the Journey series were in widespread use (which should give a clue as to my age ). I have a number of old multicoloured bills lying all over the house (mostly $20s and $1s), and they don't seem to be too exciting to me. On the other hand, if I found an older note (even a 1953), I would probably get all excited over it.

Basically, the average person is excited by money that s/he has never seen in common use. If the senior in question was old enough, that 1935 bill was probably a familiar sight in his childhood, hence he didn't really care about it.

Good point Slugboy.

I would add that when a senior does pull out an old bill and spend it, I seriously doubt that it came from a "collection".

If said senior was a collector, they would be fully aware of the "collectable value" of the note they are spending at face value.  Or, it was from their now deceased partners collection, but I don't believe that either.  My wife knows I collect paper money, she knows where it is kept and she knows that it is worth much more than face value.  If something ever happened to me, she knows to liquidate the collection with a dealer or on ebay.

I think there is still quite a bit of old paper out there just waiting to come to light.  At least, I like to think so........

If you want some good finds at face value get yourself a part time job at your local horse track.   People will cash in just about anything to make a bet.

What a great story and what a lucky find, Hudson!

My only recent "discoveries" include geting a 1971 $10 at the grocery store 3 years ago, and getting a 1979 $20 in a CIBC bank machine.  The $10 was nearly new.