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Topic: Will Canada's new polymer banknotes require any grading changes?  (Read 10463 times)
friedsquid
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I was just wondering if anyone has had much experience with other polymer banknotes in regards to grading them...
Since these notes are made of a different material will they still show the same types of wear and tear as our current paper notes in things like crispness, bent/muted corners, lack of brightness/color over time or beacuse of there durabilty will some of these items not be an issue as they have been in the past.
And how about things like being pressed...do other polymer notes have some type of designs/patterns/marking etc. that are raised and can be noticed if a note has been processed in some manner. Does a polymer note show a crease/bend/fold that is more obvious than paper because of the material..
Also curious to know how TPG will grade these, especially at first when they are new to everyone...
« Last Edit: May 16, 2011, 03:31:51 pm by friedsquid »



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CA_Banknotes
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« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2011, 05:35:03 pm »

I collect polymer banknotes religiously, I haven't had any graded by the companies, but I know a bit about how the notes behave.

Most polymer banknotes have intaglio printing, and should behave the same as paper if pressed as the embossing would not be as strong. Polymer notes might survive being put in a wallet without affecting it's condition, but it will show a fold or counting mark just as easily as paper notes. One more thing you see is if the notes were banded together using elastic bands, you will see wavy edges on the notes as well. Finally, polymer notes also seem to be prone to having their design wear off, a heavy crease might leave a white line on the note, and I've seen notes so heavily creased that the lines were clear. How the substrate is made is quite interesting, it's basically a clear film that's coated with matte white paint multiple times, then the lithograph printing is done over the white painted areas.
friedsquid
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« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2011, 06:23:44 pm »

Thanks for the information. Assuming that the notes will be banded in the same way they currently are with either plastic straps or large rubber bands can I assume that it is unlikley that notes will have the band tears that we commonly see on tightly banded bricks.  I have been told that polymer notes are not that easy to tear or rip...is that true?



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CA_Banknotes
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« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2011, 06:36:07 pm »

Yes, it's very hard to initiate a rip on a polymer banknote. What happens is that the note stretches where you attempt to rip the bill. However, it will rip easily if a cut is started somewhere on the note (e.g. using scissors).

One thing I wonder about grading is how surface scratches are going to be dealt with. The clear windows sometimes have light hairline scratches on them when you view them under a strong light, like what happens when you rub plastic against a flat surface.
friedsquid
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« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2011, 07:56:51 pm »

I was wondering about that as well. I know that many TPG holders really look like crap if they are handled alot and constantly moved as people go through them at shows. Scratches and rub marks appear. Is this the same thing that can happen with polymer notes when they are placed together?
I'm sure all of these question will be answered as soon as they notes start to appear but I think it will be interesting to see how notes are handled and graded by TPG...



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