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I can easily see lower grade like 64 to 66 notes are while nice are just inferior.
- I have only seen some disparities/variations with Legacy, PCGS, (other oddball graders) & sometimes with
PMG.
Graders are human, & as such,
will be subjective in their assessments. Some will probably have a strict/stringent set of guidelines (& use their light-box to search for the smallest imperfections) while others must be squinting & doing a liberal fast scan ignoring a note's deficiencies. I have seen quite a few off-centred (esp US) notes graded by PCGS which were given Gem (65 or 66) grades. It makes no sense to me to pay hundreds of dollars difference for 1-2 points (or a star).
The bottom line for me is I am buying the note (
not the holder). Yes, I want high grade, but that's not my primary objective/focus in assembling an admirable collection.
Since I have seen several PMG66 that look like 67 or 68 it is not worth my time to obsess over why one is 66 the other 67. And generally speaking I rarely detect much difference between a note with a star (or 1 without). I have only rarely seen notes given a 70 (& they're often new polymers if I do see one) & they're of no interest to me whatsoever. Most sellers who sell such stock always banner their sales with "Top Pop" or "one of a kind." To me, this is taking advantage of less experienced collectors with deep pockets.
In Canada we have
BCS (Banknote Certification Services) who are very strict/conservative and the highest grade I have seen (to date) has been Gem 66. But that's just me & I only started buying
TPG banknotes about 5 years ago. The last thing on my agenda is splitting hairs on a 65 or 66.
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focus on lower denominations as they are less likely to be graded ? or higher denominations
While high denominations may not have had such extensive print runs, they tend to get tucked away (in SDB) so I've seen many ($1000 for example) in higher grades (here in Canada). And in my books, they're over-priced.
I have never bought a specimen (nor remainders, proofs, etc) because I'm only interested in
issued lower denomination banknotes. I can't for the life of me understand why collectors would buy a note that was never put into circulation & pay premium for its high grade.
Each banknote has been produced with unique features (prefix, serial number & signature combinations). Others may have design changes. To ignore these singular features is to miss the fun in the hobby. I'm interested in short prefixes or signature change-overs (or special serial numbers) & notes that had limited designs (like no security strip, Devil's Face, etc). With world notes I have become more a generalist (but again will go for the less common over the more common).
IMO: It is difficult to make a claim whether any coin/banknote collection will be a good investment. Depends on so many factors. I just find them a lot lighter (& easier to store) than coins. Going for high grade will help -but you should know what you're acquiring (whether it's highly desired/collectible helps).
Posted 04/11/2020 7:14 pm
