I haven't posted much related to this collecting area in a while. I continue to hunt for specific notes and related ephemera however I have hit a dry spell.
I and others have posted in various threads snippets of advice and tips when it comes to collecting. Gathering up this information in one spot may be beneficial to others.
My go to reference book is Don Kelly's
National Bank Notes. The most recent edition is the 6th. It comes with a census CD which is easily searchable.
Internet reference sources: Heritage Auction archive, Lyn Knight auction archive,
ebay sold listings, Stacks Bowers archive and Manifest Auction archive
Condition of notes: nationals can come ratty looking, beat up with flaws on the low end; on the opposite spectrum there are well preserved ones. As a collector, you will have to decide for yourself. For some banks, states, types, denominations, etc. with few notes known you may have to settle for a low grade or flawed specimen if you want to own one.
You can be choosy when it comes to prolific big city banks with multiple examples reported of a type (e.g. Series 1902 Plain Back) that are sold on a regular basis. No reason to settle for a ratty example if a nice example costs about the same.
After a while, you learn which banks and cities in a state surface on a regular basis. Best advice is to start small---meaning focus on a single state or even a city in that state...otherwise a person risks information overload and burnout.
Ways to Collect: There is no right way or wrong way to collecting nationals. You (the collector) decide among the myriad of choices available--the list below are some ideas
-one note from every bank in a state
-one note from every state in the lower 48
- private named banks
- a denomination set for 1 bank
-type set (Original Series, Series 1875, Series 1882, Series 1902, Series 1929)
Overall, just have fun whether you have one national or multiples the pursuit can bring plenty of enjoyment.
-MV
Posted 02/24/2017 3:22 pm
