Important Conclusions Regarding Insert Notes in June 2008 CPMS Newsletter

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There's a very interesting in-depth and scholarly analysis of $20 Journey series insert notes in the June 2008 CPMS Newsletter (pages 39-46). The article is authored by Dr. Mark Marschner. Beyond the extensive technical details and scientific analysis regarding plate layouts, etc., the author presents some very thought-provoking conclusions, as follows:

(1) Ultimately, it is the legitimately discovered out-of-sequence insert notes in unc ATM runs and in unc bank bricks that define the insert ranges and not the other way round.  This is a ground-breaking observation as it implies that not all notes that fall within the insert ranges listed in the catalogue were necessarily used for insert purposes. In other words, only out-of-sequence unc notes that were physically discovered in unc ATM runs or in bank bricks qualify unambiguously as being true insert notes.

(2) In reality, only the person who actually discovers a legitimate out-of-sequence insert note can have 100.0% confidence that it's a true insert note. After the initial discovery we have to rely entirely on hearsay evidence, on trust, and above all on the integrity of the discoverer. However, with the passage of time, the note will move around from one collector to another and this discovery "provenance" will obviously be lost.

Dr. Marschner proposes that a detailed register listing the serial numbers of all legitimately-discovered insert notes should be maintained on an ongoing basis and published online and/or in hard copy. Once a given note has been accepted into the register it has then been formally recognized as being a true insert note and the necessary provenance has thereby been conferred on that particular note for all time. This seems like a good idea.

After digesting the meat of the CPMS article, it seems to me that two separate "classes" of insert notes need to be recognized, i.e.

Class I "Authenticated" Inserts ---- these are the true inserts that were physically discovered as out-of-sequence notes in unc ATM runs and bank bricks.

Class II "Presumed" Inserts ---- these are notes that were picked out of regular circulation (not as out-of-sequence notes in unc runs) and are presumed to be inserts solely on the grounds that their serial numbers fall within the empirically-established insert ranges published in the catalogue.

Class I inserts carry the stamp of absolute authenticity whereas Class II inserts obviously cannot be proven beyond all doubt to have actually been employed for insert purposes.

The CPMS article will be of great interest to anyone who is seeking a better understanding of the complex world of insert notes!

The CPMS article will be of interest to anyone interested in insert notes!

Unfortunately, I have not yet received my newsletter, but am eagerly awaiting to read this article. Being an insert collector, as well as a brick searcher I think that the more information available and accessible to every collector can only make the hobby more solid, and give others a sense of confidence when collecting and/or purchasing insert notes, especially those higher end notes that tend to be difficult, if not near impossible to obtain.  Like in any other collection or hobby, you always want your items to be the real thing.
As in some finds, I have photographed bricks prior to being opened simply for the fact that there was obvious visual differences that the "normal" brick you usually encountered did not have.  Whether different packaging, different strappings, or different colored bundle wrappers, or absence of wrappers altogether, but in time the information seems to disappear once a confirmation is given and it is assumed that it is really no longer needed.
Without having read the article it would be premature to make comments, but I for one know that the more information and facts  I have, will definitely give me a sense of comfort.
The one concern that I do have is that I wish that we would somehow have a better idea as to how many notes are being found in a confirmed range. I know this is something that will not be that easy.  I know that I have had bricks one day and found a tough note, yet the next days brick had nothing. The window of opportunity on some prefixes/and insert notes seems to be very,very, small, yet others tend to pop up in every brick, where you actually get discouraged because your waiting for something new. Anyways, getting off topic ...
FRIEDSQUID