St. John

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These were already posted in "The Notes" section but I thought they deserved their own thread.

It was a great honour to have had the opportunity to help complete this completely unique and very prestigious set.  My partner and I took these photos and post them here with the owner's permission.

1866 $1, Payable at Toronto, St. John Overprint.  Finest known.  Ex: Heritage FUN Sale (Jan. 2018).

1866 $2, Payable at Toronto, St. John Overprint.  Unique in private hands.  Finest known.  Ex: Geoffrey Bell.  This note was listed in the CPMS registry as "Poor" condition but clearly presents as a problem-free VG.  Some minor edge restoration was carried out to unfold the numerous crinkles.  This can be is witnessed by observing the areas along the edges with comparatively less soiling.  Otherwise, the note is fully intact and original and miles ahead of the NCC's heavily-damaged example.

(to be continued...)

1870 $1, Payable at St. John.  Fresh VF+.  By far the nicest I've seen.

1870 $2, Payable at St. John.  High grade and totally original.  Unique in private hands.  Finest-known by far.

Each of these notes is stunning to see on its own.  To have so many together in a collection is equally amazing.

Most collectors don't realize the length of time it takes to assemble a group like this.  There is usually no "buy it now" button for scarce notes.  Several years can pass before a single note change hands.

Congratulations to the collector and their agents!

JBN

1878 $1, Scalloped Border, Payable at St. John.  Displays original hand-cut and none-the-less well-balanced borders.  Of all four locales, this is one of the freshest and brightest scalloped border notes I've ever seen or handled.

1878 $1, Lettered Boarder, Payable at St. John.  Likely the finest-known, as all others are VG/Fine at best.  This note displays even more crudely hand-cut borders, with dull edges and a significant portion of the adjoining note attached!

This is actually the rarest of all the 1878 $1s with only six known, including the NCC's.  Unlike the Montreal and Toronto locales, fewer lettered-border St. John notes were released and/or survived than their scalloped border counterparts.  Perhaps due to the low circulation rate, there were still plenty of the original scalloped border notes left in stock when the new design was released, the lettered design only being ordered towards the end of the issue's circulation run.

$2 1878, Payable at St. John.  Finest of the 3 privately-held examples.

Each of these notes is stunning to see on its own.  To have so many together in a collection is equally amazing.

Most collectors don't realize the length of time it takes to assemble a group like this.  There is usually no "buy it now" button for scarce notes.  Several years can pass before a single note change hands.

Congratulations to the collector and their agents!

JBN

We were extremely lucky that several of the most significant collections of Canadian Paper Money ever assembled, some of which date as far back as the 1970s, turned over in the space of a few short years.

Most importantly, though, I have sought to maintain good relationships with dealers who are well-connected in the hobby. We all want to cut out the middle-man and pay the lowest possible price for all of our purchases.  However, many of these notes were never offered publicly and could not have been obtained at any price without some of the relationships that I have cultivated over the years.

The 1870 $2, which I consider to be the key of the whole collection, was in a private collection for over 50 years and was never sold at auction before or since.  Although this note was known to exist for many years, it was one particular dealer who happened to have a decades-old relationship with the owner who convinced them to let it go and to make this collection complete.

I will check with Bob at CPMS to make sure he includes this 1870 $2 St. John 13300/D in the registry (2nd one listed).

Knowing who has these gems and when circumstances open the door to a transaction is important.  I have (infrequently) enjoyed answering the phone and getting notes before they go on another venue.

I smile to see third party grading – maybe not necessary for notes such as these due to their scarcity.  I guess, however, that they offer a third party opinion to help settle a fair deal.

Thank you for sharing!
JBN

Amazing to see such scarce notes together. Thanks for posting this thread with some of the background info too.

WOW! Thanks for sharing these amazing notes!

Tremendous history that is so well preserved. Great pictures.

Thanks for taking the time to share!

I'm getting ready to tackle the 1935 series, and well see if I catch the dominion itch