If You Were A Newbie, What Would You Do?

I've been there done that. Go online and search for images and websites for known "phony", "fake", or "counterfeit" Confederate money. I have some and I identified mine by comparing them to what I found online. Sorry I don't recall the exact sites, but they should be easy to find.

Bison Matt is right about the book,"Paper Money of the United States" by Arthur and Ira Friedberg.It is and always will be my favorite reference book and has great color photos. Good luck!

That book is good for all US currency except loans/bonds.

Some counterfeits can have value if they are "Contemporary Counterfeits"(from the same time period) - but I do not know enough to tell the difference .

To sell here you would need more posts, so your best options are likely taking them into a local coin shop that deals in currency or listing them on ebay. Auction houses typically require several thousand in value to consign, but they also make outright offers on most currency(i haven't had luck with them but others do).

I'm not familiar with paper money, so I'll leave the input on your actual bills to the experts.

The suggestion that I can make is that you post topics in the Paper Money and Banknotes forum to ensure that the right people see them.

It seems as if you're not rushing into anything as far as selling the notes goes, which is excellent.

Good Luck!

The 50 Shilling Pennsylvania note is quite intriguing (Fr. PA-170?). The signers certainly fit (Samuel Miles, Owen Jones Jr. and William Wister)I believe about 28,000 notes ( of varying denominations) were dated Oct 1,1773 so there are several combinations of signatures. Like anything, condition and audience will drive the price.

You all are so helpful! BisonMatt, thanks for your perspective on the book editions. I'm surprised to learn that values went down, but then I have much to learn. I will definitely check out Heritage Auctions and ebay for current pricing; will learn how to do this.

Amida17, I'm impressed that you were able to determine that middle signature. I really couldn't read it. Thank you!

And John1, Thank you for the very helpful link. I'm on their website now, researching my currency.

I so appreciate the input!

I feel even more confused than ever! Apparently 3 of the bills I have haven't been listed on ebay before - no search results. And, between Heritage Auction and ebay, I see such variations in price, even for same grade of bill. Should I just approach a few potential buyers, learn their offers, and go from there? What is the difference between selling to a place like Hertiage auctions versus Old Value Currency? Or selling to a dealer? Or a private party?

Separate question: it seems that I need a reference guide for US coins as well. Any one recommendation?

Thank you in advance! As you can see, I need all the help I can get. :)

Rachel, I recently went through a somewhat similar situation. I inherited an entire bag of paper money. I learned that regardless of values, its really all about what someone is willing to pay at that particular moment. I sold some bills for far less than expected and a few for a good bit more than expected. I also have kept a ton of it because there isn't anyone who is interested enough in it to purchase it. Paper money just isn't as popular as coins. I highly recommend posting the bills in which you are curious about here. I guarantee someone will know what it is and an approximate value. Another option is to take it to a dealer in your area (if you are willing to post your area I'm sure someone can recommend someone) and get everything appraised. I would recommend telling them you are not going to sell anything at that particular time so that you get a more honest evaluation.