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 Replies: 18 / Views: 8,025 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
Though I am a numismatist rather than a paper money enthusiast, I just got this one yesterday since it has such an intriguing design. But I have no idea as to the value, grade, or even the proper identification of this note. I have found it in my Krause, and it is number 117, but there are three variants for the Shanghai issue ( X, Y, & Z). So which type is my note and how would you grade it? Thanks!   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
I would think it's an XF note. My Krause doesn't go back that far so I can't tell you anything more that what's written on the note. What are the varieties for this one?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3499 Posts |
wd1040- Really, XF? That strikes me as a bit high, but I don;t have much experience with notes. haha
There are three varieties for the Shanghai issue:
W. "Blue and m/c (S/M #C126-)"
X. "Dk. brown and m/c. Red control letter P at l. and r. (S/M #C126-93b)"
Y. Black and m/c. (S/M #C126-)"
I must admit that I have no idea what those three descriptions of the varieties mean.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
No! Wait! I meant VF! I was thinking VF but typed XF d'oh!
m/c most likely means multicolored (as in the background printing) so maybe it's Y? or is it brown?... I have no idea what S/M #Cmeans, either.
oh well, Krause does miss its fair share of notes. I have a Bahamas note printed by BA Banknote that's not listed.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
I presume that in the color indication of "Black and m/c" the "Black" relates to the color of the border and of the central image on both the obverse and the reverse. But what does "Red control letter P at l[eft] and r[ight]" mean? I believe that the border design is in fact black, but it does make you wonder just how dark is the "dark brown" of variety X?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
Control letters P at L and R are just what they sound like: letters there. I was trying to find that on the note but I don't see it. It could be large or small...
I also wonder how brown is brown. In the scan your note actually looks brown...
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
I wonder if the Control letters P at L and R actually means the black characters in between the "red box" of characters on the obverse and the scroll-like design below the central image of the train on the obverse. Is this possible? What do those black characters mean?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
I don't think so... on the old Chinese notes I've seen with control numbers, they are usually in the border. The seals are like the signatures of the people. One of them is the chief cashier and the other one is like the president of the bank. And the black text is the promise of payment like on the back (will pay $5 to bearer, etc) I'll upload a note with a control number. I guess that'll give you an idea of how small it is   Just a hint: it's an "L" and it's on the border. In most banknotes the control letter is that small. Edited by wd1040
08/20/2009 4:37 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
Well, I certainly do see a little "L" on the bottom left of the border. I really do not see a red "P" anywhere on my note, which may actually be a great thing. If my note does in fact lack the control letter and is in black ink, which I think it is, then my note is variety Y. According to my krause, variety Y is $275 in F and $550 in XF. So this might be an awesome return on my 50 cent investment. "Woo-hoo" (a la Homer Simpson).
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
Wow 50c? That's an excellent steal! Very, very nice!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
wd1040- So we are in agreement that there are no red "P's" anywhere on the note? Because even variety W. is $100 in Fine and $200 in XF. And so the two varieties that are valuable are the ones that do not have the control letters.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3098 Posts |
Yup, I think there are no Ps anywhere.... unless you want to send me a huge scan of the note.
But yeah, I think you have the black printing one.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1082 Posts |
It's definitely Y.
It's black and m/c, has no control letter, which would be something fairly obvious and easy to see.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
WpgLwr & wd1040- Awesome! I am very happy with my 50 cent investment. Thanks for the help!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3499 Posts |
UPDATE: I am now positive that this is one of the two scarcer and valuable varieties. Upon closer inspection of the image for this number in my Krause, though the image in in black and white, it is obvious that there is a rather big "P" beneath the smaller, black characters for "5 yuan" on the left and right sides of the obverse of the bill. YAY!
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Moderator
 Australia
16849 Posts |
Sorry, but I think you guys are missing a variety. You've mentioned varieties W, X and Y for this note, but can someone with a more up-to-date Pick catalogue confirm what variety N is? In my 1986 edition, it's listed as Shanghai, Dk Brown and m/c, S/M C126-93. This is the commonest variety of this note; my old catalogue gives it a CV of 50¢ in EF while all the other types are $30 or more. I would assume this is dark brown, no red P, so therefore it's variety N.
Control letters aren't always small. I would expect a great big glowing red "P" somewhere, separate from the serial number, on type X notes.
The "S/M" numbers are references to the specialist catalogue, "Chinese Banknotes" by Ward D. Smith and Brian Matravers. "S/M C126" is the basic type of the note; C126-93 is the subtype of "dark brown", while C126-93b is a variety of C126-93 with red control letter P added. "C126-" means a subtype observed by Pick but not listed in the Smith & Matravers catalogue.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Replies: 18 / Views: 8,025 |
Posted 08/20/2009 3:15 pm
