I concur with Hudson.... and you are lucky that Vancouver is so productive!
My experience in searching and finding original 10 Journeys:
2000 FDT - FDW Knight/Thiessen (on occassion) last summer (almost never now)
2001 FEA FEB FEC FED
I have found in quite a few when searching used bricks over the summer
2002 (Knight/Dodge) FEE, FEG, FEH, FEJ, FEK, FEL, FEM, BEK (the most common signature) all represent majority of what was found, and are what continue to pop up very infrequently today. These were released as late as 2004 (probably stock-piled). And 2004 BES
These bills are fairly common --only the missing circles, radars, or UNC sequentials worth keeping-- now in very rough shape as they don't hold up well to circulation.
2003 Jenkins/Dodge BEM, BEN on occassion (in the summer but rarely now). I suspect BEM was a short run. The list says BEN is a full run but I find few these days.
2003 BEL (never found), BEK JD (rare- but very circulated and about 2 times in 6 searches), BEP (never here in Ontario)
BET (rare, but found in the summer)
Most 2003 in UNC should be keepers.
I have once or twice found a 2004 BER which was in such poor shape that I put it back (same with BEI)
So the most desirable? any UNC FD_ Knight/Thiessen (the least common signature)- esp change-over FDZ (Knight/Dodge) or replacements (any condition)
2001 FEE (any condition)
2002 UNC (missing circles) and FEN (though they seem to be rather common on eBay)
BEI replacements
2003 BER, BEL, BEK, BEP (any condition)
(note: I would consider these bills infinitely more collectable than the replacements of the above 2002 notes which seem so very common, and offered so often on eBay, in stores, and at shows)
2003 BEM (AU to UNC)
2004 BER/ BET (any condition. Again- these notes are just as important as any replacement)
In my humble opinion, all collectors should be securing examples of all of the above notes since the Journey series has performed so well in the market. And so it should. Its a revolutionary note (with its braille, its timely symbolism, its so-called security features that were so promptly forged by computer technology!). It is a series with far more exciting "finds," annomalies if you compare it to its Birds predecessor. The irregular way in which it was released (a few 2003 and 2004 BET being the last prefixes), the scarce yearly change-overs (FEE and BEK), and the signature yearly change-over insert (J/D BEK) as well as the mysterious 2003 BER which no one seems to be able to locate (but a lucky few). And finally, the paper durability of these notes is of poorer quality than the Birds, making them wear out extremely fast. This means that good (AU to UNC) examples of any note will be worth something, while just good examples of the super scarce 2003 BEL or BER are prime collectables.
James
