Dean’s finds

News: Welcome to the Canadian Paper Money Forum.

The Authentic version, which is a very uncommon error (on '54 notes anyway) will normally have the back printed significantly off-center.  Presumably, the uncut sheet had different sized selvage areas on the top and bottom.  The fact that the margins line up perfectly should be looked at with extreme suspicion.

Two examples of an authentic version (back and front).  Note that both banknotes are from the same sheet.

September 2nd finds:

I returned to one of my regular banks (a CIBC) yesterday and asked my usual question about paper money to the head teller.  He told me to come back tomorrow because he had some old notes.

When I arrived at the branch this morning, he was busy, so I waited patiently for an opportunity to view the mutilated pile.

He quickly took out the paper notes in the stack of mutilated banknotes, a total of $130 worth.  To my amazement, there were five one dollar notes; two 1954 modified $1s with one of them being cut out of register and crooked, a ratty old 1973 $1 and best of all, two 1937 $1s…one of which is an Osbourne/Towers signed note!

The other notes were run of the mill journey and birds series $5s, $10s and a $20, but it was nice to strike gold today!

Among these, there were three journey $10s in AU condition, and a birds $10 BDZ Bonin/Thiessen signed changeover note.

Enjoy the pictures!
Dean

Fantastic finds Dean, the O/T sig 1937 is a huge surprise! Some kid ripped off his parent's coin collection and spent it.

September 2nd finds:

I returned to one of my regular banks (a CIBC) yesterday and asked my usual question about paper money to the head teller.  He told me to come back tomorrow because he had some old notes.

When I arrived at the branch this morning, he was busy, so I waited patiently for an opportunity to view the mutilated pile.

He quickly took out the paper notes in the stack of mutilated banknotes, a total of $130 worth.  To my amazement, there were five one dollar notes; two 1954 modified $1s with one of them being cut out of register and crooked, a ratty old 1973 $1 and best of all, two 1937 $1s…one of which is an Osbourne/Towers signed note!

The other notes were run of the mill journey and birds series $5s, $10s and a $20, but it was nice to strike gold today!

Among these, there were three journey $10s in AU condition, and a birds $10 BDZ Bonin/Thiessen signed changeover note.

Enjoy the pictures!
Dean

the O/T sig 1937 is a huge surprise! Some kid ripped off his parent's coin collection and spent it.

-I agree - awesome find Dean! I doubt that "a kid ripped off his parents" since 99.9% of the population don't give a rat's @ss about serial numbers (let alone signatures) but it is very possible that a senior passed away (as a result of Covid) & the heirs had no idea of what to do with the little collection of notes- so back to the bank they went.

The 1937 pick up (& others you've shown) make it super enticing for me to ask to check the damaged/return pouches. I would love to do ask but just about every branch that I have asked, has looked at me like I just asked them if I could sleep inside the vault overnight (as if my request was something so outlandish) so I just don't bother anymore.

The one person who had allowed me to check the pouch one time over a year ago was no longer at my branch the next day so....(& I don't want to get anyone in trouble).

I would have to agree with James.  These older notes are probably from someone who passed away (won't speculate on the cause of death) and their heirs (if they had any) couldn't be bothered with it.  I don't see a kid managing to spend a '37 $1 anywhere.  First of all, what can you even buy for $1 (or even 5x $1 for that matter)?  What store would even accept it?  I tried spending a ratty old '37 $10 years ago for fun and all I got were bewildered looks.  Any store clerk who actually knew what it was would have to be some kind of collector who was planning on keeping the note for themselves.

That being said, I do notice "patterns" of the notes I am offered from my branch that makes me think a collector is "off-loading", and trading up, from their collection.  They are always "just off" UNC for some reason be it a single folded corner. some written notation, or other really minor flaw --

I once bought a large collection from a person which had some great notes but a lot of 1979 $20, a 1975 $50 & $100 that were part of the deal (I paid FV). I wanted to drop them off at the bank b/c they're uncollectible in my eyes (common VF or worse). I held the $50 & $100 for a friend but exchanged about 6 of the $20 so yes, I guess that is "off-loading."

- I think there are also a lot of "closet collectors" or people who never go online to check a site such as this, buy a catalogue nor attend a show.  They just put a few notes (& coins) aside and that's that. I'm sure these are the people who either pass on (& their heirs have a tiny collection to sort out) or who just deposit it back b/c they can't be bothered to get into it as a hobby.

Often people think a note with a slight off-centre design is an error.  When I first started collecting my parents often would give me a note slightly off & I've seen this from others who never collect.  You see pictures of off-centred notes posted all the time in "What its worth" (or on Reddit/IG/FB) for those who either own the note or are posting for those "closet-collectors."

September 12th finds:
A huge haul today from one of my regular banks…
167 centennial dollars
150 multicolour dollar notes,
A birds $20
And a wheres willy marked $5.
Two 1954 $20s and ten 1986 $2s

Enjoy!
Dean

September 25th find:

I rescued over 500 nickels from somebody who was there to deposit them at the bank yesterday.  I was there to ask for bank notes (there were none) but I got to chatting with this person with the jar full of nickels.
He said that the coins were stashed by him over many years from pocket change and “the time had come to get rid of them” because they were “just sitting around.”

Luckily, I had enough cash in my pocket to buy the coin jar…and save the man hours of rolling coins because the teller had just informed him that he would not accept loose coins.

The man said that he has “about 1500 more nickels at home” that he will probably dispose of.
We exchanged numbers and I asked him to call me if he was cashing in any more coins.

I noticed that all of the nickels date between 1937 and 1967 but there are no V nickels, tombac nickels or 1951 commemoratives in the hoard.

I think I did the right thing by rescuing these coins, but now the seller’s problem has become mine.   

If anybody needs any nickels, please send me a PM!

Enjoy,
Dean

September 26th finds:
Huge Coinstar payout!

I hit the jackpot at a Coinstar machine on the way out of the grocery store today.

$78 in loonies
4 counterfeit toonies,
6 East Caribbean States dollars
Coins from Peru
7.20 in Euros (Greece, Spain, Germany, Monaco)
5 rupees from India
5 pence from the UK

It is disconcerting to see how common the fake toonies are…
The toonies are dated 2002, 2004, and 2005.

Enjoy,
Dean

September 26th finds:
Huge Coinstar payout!

I hit the jackpot at a Coinstar machine on the way out of the grocery store today.

$78 in loonies
4 counterfeit toonies,
6 East Caribbean States dollars
Coins from Peru
7.20 in Euros (Greece, Spain, Germany, Monaco)
5 rupees from India
5 pence from the UK

It is disconcerting to see how common the fake toonies are…
The toonies are dated 2002, 2004, and 2005.

Enjoy,
Dean

You mean you just found all of that sitting in the reject bin of the machine?

You mean you just found all of that sitting in the reject bin of the machine?

Yes, the reject tray was loaded with coins!

September 26th finds:
Huge Coinstar payout!

I hit the jackpot at a Coinstar machine on the way out of the grocery store today.

7.20 in Euros (Greece, Spain, Germany, Monaco)

Enjoy,
Dean

Geez, I have been looking for Euro coins from Monaco here in Germany since 2002 and I have not found one yet. Yes, Euro from Monaco are occasionally found in circulation here in Germany. But not by me. You are in Canada and find one. Amazing...Congrats.
Which denomination? Which year?

September 28 find:

The guy who cashed in the pile of nickels the other day called me up and said that he was going to cash in the rest of his nickel stash…but not at the bank…he was going to put the coins into a Coinstar machine because it was “too much work” to roll them all up.

He asked me whether I wanted them so I bought the entire stash…he said that there were “about 1500” nickels.
From a quick inspection, I did not detect anything after 1967 but I counted 1843 coins in total!

Enjoy!
Dean

October 3rd finds:
Huge note score!

I had the great fortune to receive this huge lot of notes from one of my banks.

169 birds $2s (For CBeaulieu:  there was only ONE single note with “BB—“ prefix…BBR…2 small “B”s.)
A whole whack of 1954 notes…$1s, $2s, $10s, $20s, $50s and $100s…some in better condition than others.
A couple of raggedy 1973 and 1967 $1s, and some nicer 1974 $2s.

The highlight was a single 1937 $5 in rough shape, but I never turn down something that old!

Enjoy!
Dean

October 3rd finds: continued…