What's your definition of a "TROPHY NOTE"?

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What is a “TROPHY NOTE” ??

A simple definition of a Trophy Note would be "The sort of note that everyone wants to own but no one wants to sell". They do appear at major auctions from time to time but then they tend to disappear into strong hands for long periods (over 50 years in some cases).

I have listed below what I consider to be all of the requirements that a note must satisfy before it can be labeled as a Trophy Note:

1. It must be very rare in some way, either as a type or because of its superior condition.

2. It must be in an attractive grade (generally F-VF or better depending on its age).

3. It must be entirely original, i.e., never washed, pressed or doctored.

4. It must have great esthetic appeal by virtue of an unusually attractive vignette, a very special serial number (e.g., #000001), or great historical significance (e.g., a Klondyke Gold Rush note).

I’ve taken the liberty of attaching a scan of two chartered notes from my own collection that might just make the “cut” as Trophy Notes. One is a $1 1863 note from THE QUEBEC BANK (original aVF --– only two known without a town overprint**) while the other is a $5 1911 note from THE WEYBURN SECURITY BANK (original crisp EF with three light folds).

** NOTE:  I personally find notes without town overprints to be more esthetically satisfying than the corresponding overprinted notes. However, the overprinted notes may possess more historical significance.

Perhaps members might wish to post scans of some of the Trophy Notes in their own collections (Dominion of Canada, Bank of Canada, and Chartered Banks)?







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Hey Ottawa

Are you only talking about older notes? I have number 1 on a new $5 what about error notes would that be number 5 if they were large errors?

Arthur

Here is one of my favourites.

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If you are willing, I can add your notes to the CdnPaperMoney site. It would help me if you listed the Charlton number for the note though. There's no way I can collect all the notes alone, nor look up each one and get them right.

I've setup the structure and we'll move everything to the official wiki when it gets up and running.

Paul

I think your definition of trophy notes is quite accurate and let me congratulate you on having these notes in your collection. I have seen the Weyburn $5 before but nowhere near as well preserved.

Would you only consider a trophy note if the condition is GOOD/VERY GOOD but is the only one know?

Would you only consider a trophy note if the condition is GOOD/VERY GOOD but is the only one know?

Personally speaking, I would not be willing to assign the description "Trophy Note" to any note which is in an unattractive low grade, even if only one example is known. However, I realize that some people may disagree with me on this point.

As I see it, a Trophy Note is a note that literally hits you in the face as soon as you see it. Bob's Standard Bank 1900 $10 note is a great example of a Trophy Note --- it has the necessary rarity (refer to the Charlton catalogue), it has the necessary condition (apparently an original VF-EF or better), and it not only has a wonderful vignette but also has mind-blowing colour --- a true museum piece in all respects!

Hey Ottawa. Are you only talking about older notes? I have number 1 on a new $5 what about error notes would that be number 5 if they were large errors? Arthur

I must admit that I did have older notes in mind when I opened this post. However, I see no reason why the description "Trophy Note" could not be used for modern notes, e.g., a Devil's Face Serial #0000001 or even a current issue note Serial #0000001. However, personally speaking, I just can't see referring to an error note as a Trophy Note, although some members may disagree with me.

Where was the Weyburn Security Bank located? Aidan.

The Weyburn Security Bank was located in the town of Weyburn (south east of Regina) in the Province of Saskatchewan. I recall driving through Weyburn when I "emigrated" from Edmonton, Alberta to Ottawa, Ontario in 1976!

While on the topic of Saskatchewan, today we often forget that prior to the Great Depression of 1929 and the ensuing "Dust Bowl" conditions on the Canadian Prairies, Saskatchewan had been the third most important province of Canada in terms of both population and economic indicators. Thereafter, Saskatchewan never recovered its early promise: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regina,_Saskatchewan.

I well recall owning a beautiful 1925 panoramic photo of Rosetown, Saskatchewan, and the number of Cadillacs and other high-end automobiles in that photo made a memorable impression on me! I would imagine that the Weyburn Security Bank had many very wealthy customers while it was in business (from 1910 to 1931 when it merged with the Imperial Bank of Canada).

If you are willing, I can add your notes to the CdnPaperMoney site. It would help me if you listed the Charlton number for the note though. ........ I've setup the structure and we'll move everything to the official wiki when it gets up and running.Paul

Thanks, Paul. I'll send you the images by email in the near future.  

Maybe this is the answer to rachelsprivates' dilemma regarding those who cannot afford a trophy note. Get a third of a trophy note.

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Maybe this is the answer to rachelsprivates' dilemma regarding those who cannot afford a trophy note. Get a third of a trophy note.

 
That's a trophy to you, and that's what counts!

I understand your ideas Ottawa, but I'm inclined to agree with "Rachel_" in that a note for me doesn't have to be expensive, or necessarily a flashy showpiece to be considered a "Trophy note."   The whole concept of what a trophy is got me really thinking, and the fisherman in me would consider a "trophy" note to be a note that:
a) is a found rarity that cost you face value
or
b) is a rare "sleeper" bought at a show or auction (for a fraction of book value)  

When I started collecting notes way back in the 1970's I found a near UNC *RE $2.00 that cost me no more than $2.00  It also got me hooked on collecting notes (the idea that you can actually find a rarity).
I know of a couple colectors on this forum who regularly attend shows and find incredible rarities with very little cost.  Why? Because like a good angler, they're armed with knowledge and patience, and go through inspecting many many many notes to find that 1 prize.  Like a fisherman, they go to these shows early, and catch the "whopper" while everyone's napping (I know cause BWJM caught me snoozing in Paris).

The notes displayed on this thread remind me more of "Blue Ribbon" notes.  That's the best "metaphor" I can think of because: they have a history, are show-stoppers, and a cut above most other notes.  If they were to be judged, they would be very highly rated for their exceptional rarity/beauty.

I understand your ideas Ottawa, but I'm inclined to agree with "Rachel_" in that a note for me doesn't have to be expensive, or necessarily a flashy showpiece to be considered a "Trophy Note".   The whole concept of what a trophy is got me really thinking, and the fisherman in me would consider a "trophy" note to be a note that: a) is a found rarity that cost you face value
or b) is a rare "sleeper" bought at a show or auction (for a fraction of book value)  

I know of a couple collectors on this forum who regularly attend shows and find incredible rarities with very little cost. Why? Because like a good angler, they're armed with knowledge and patience, and go through inspecting many many many notes to find that 1 prize.  Like a fisherman, they go to these shows early, and catch the "whopper" while everyone's napping .......

The notes displayed on this thread remind me more of "Blue Ribbon" notes.  That's the best "metaphor" I can think of because: they have a history, are show-stoppers, and a cut above most other notes.  If they were to be judged, they would be very highly rated for their exceptional rarity/beauty.

Some good comments have been made here, particularly the "Blue Ribbon" suggestion. I used to be an angler of doubtful repute many years ago and I therefore appreciated the fishing analogy!

I think perhaps that my original post was less explicit than it should have been. I was using the word Trophy (large T) as an adjective and not as a noun. There's a big difference between a "personal" trophy (small T) and a Trophy Note. A "personal" trophy might be something like a $5 1979 "33" Test Note in VF that you picked up at a flea market for $10.00. However, such a note, although desirable, would not stand out as anything very special in a dealer's display case at a show. However, a Province of Canada $10 1866 note in VF would definitely be a "show stopper" and would unambiguously be a Trophy Note. Whether or not many collectors could afford to purchase that $10 1866 note is not the issue here --- it's the rarity, quality and desirability of the note itself that matters. Believe it or not, one of those $10 1866 notes showed up at an auction in New Zealand of all places way back in the late 1970's --- it found its way into Jack Veffer's collection at that time and subsequently appeared in the legendary INTERPAM'81 auction in Toronto in July 1981 (estimated at $50,000 by the way, but it didn't sell!)  

I think we all have our personal favorites and these are often items that have particular sentimental interest to us, and usually to us alone. They may be big trophies to us personally but in most cases they wouldn't have any special significance to anyone else. However, a true Trophy Note, by definition, is a note that hits you in the face as soon as you see it and you know that you'll probably never see another one like it outside of an institutional collection.

Most true Trophy Notes outside museums were locked up long ago by specialized collectors who are usually less interested in making a quick profit than in enjoying the "opium" of ownership. We often forget that in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe serious numismatists usually accepted a loss when selling their material, i.e., they were willing to pay a financial price for the pleasure of ownership (prices didn't creep up relentlessly year after year in those days). Things are a bit different now although we all take a loss from time to time when we get careless or greedy --- even after 35 years of adult collecting I still make careless errors and I'm sure I'm not alone...  

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I've received an email from member justeo asking me to post images of a few Trophy Notes as he has been having trouble posting the images himself. These notes reside in private hands, but outside of North America. Here's the first one, which is fully self-explanatory --- a true "mind blower"!

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Here's the second Trophy Note submitted by justeo (Charlton #385-10-02). Only two fully-issued $5 notes from Banque Internationale du Canada have been reported to date, of which this is one (refer to the Register of Surviving Notes published in the March 2006 CPM Newsletter, page 6). This note is in exceptional condition and is of exceptional rarity -- a true Trophy Note in all respects!

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Here's the third Trophy Note submitted by justeo (Charlton #385-10-04). Only two fully-issued $10 notes from Banque Internationale du Canada have been reported to date, of which this is one (refer to the Register of Surviving Notes published in the March 2006 CPM Newsletter, page 6). This note previously appeared in the American Numismatic Association (ANA) Annual Convention Auction Sale in 1986 (Lot 3023, Realized US$2200.00 plus buyer's fee).

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