Whether you are an experienced or a new paper money collector or dealer, you'll come across a note that you find hard to grade. Maybe you overlooked or went past some important detail. Now you have a detailed but easy to use reference guide that will help you increase your confidence in your note grading.

The colorful history of paper money before the Civil War Before Civil War greenbacks and a national bank network established a uniform federal currency in the United States, the proliferation of loosely regulated banks saturated the early American republic with upwards of 10,000 unique and legal bank notes. This number does not even include the plethora of counterfeit bills and the countless shinplasters of questionable legality issued by unregulated merchants, firms, and municipalities. Adding to the chaos was the idiosyncratic method for negotiating their value, an often manipulative face-to-face discussion consciously separated from any haggling over the price of the work, goods, or services for sale. In Bank Notes and Shinplasters, Joshua R. Greenberg shows how ordinary Americans accumulated and wielded the financial knowledge required to navigate interpersonal bank note transactions. Locating evidence of Americans grappling with their money in fiction, correspondence, newspapers, printed ephemera, government documents, legal cases, and even on the money itself, Greenberg argues Americans, by necessity, developed the ability to analyze the value of paper financial instruments, assess the strength of banking institutions, and even track legislative changes that might alter the rules of currency circulation. In his examination of the doodles, calculations, political screeds, and commercial stamps that ended up on bank bills, he connects the material culture of cash to financial, political, and intellectual history. The book demonstrates that the shift from state-regulated banks and private shinplaster producers to federally authorized paper money in the Civil War era led to the erasure of the skill, knowledge, and lived experience with banking that informed debates over economic policy. The end result, Greenberg writes, has been a diminished public understanding of how currency and the financial sector operate in our contemporary era, from the 2008 recession to the rise of Bitcoin.

Interest in coin collecting and paper money is at an all-time high, thanks in part to the new designs of modern U.S. coins and currency, the increasing market value of precious metals, and the great investment coin collecting has been in recent years. Recent reports estimate that there are over 1 million serious coin collectors in the U.S. And the U.S. Mint estimates that nearly 150 million people have collected the 50 State Quarters. The bestselling Warman's Coins & Paper Money, now in its 5th edition, is the most comprehensive, colorful, informative, and thorough identification and price guide of its kind. It covers everything from the evolution of U.S. coins and currency to the latest in minted coinage. Big, bold and informative, this invaluable tool is a must-have for collectors of all levels, whether they are children or adults, novice or experienced veterans. But this book doesn't stop at U.S. coins and currency. It also features a panoramic and full-color view of coins and currency from Canada, Mexico, and Europe. About the Author A veteran numismatist by trade and passion, Arlyn G. Sieber is a freelance writer and editor. A former editor of Numismatic News and Coin Prices magazine, Sieber was a 25-year employee for Krause Publications. His previous numismatic book credits as a writer, editor or contributor include the first two editions of North American Coins & Prices, Warman's Companion World Coins & Currency, 2nd Edition, Warman's World Coins Field Guide, Instant Coin Collector, and Gold Rush. Sieber has also contributed to The Numismatist, the ANA's official journal. Sieber is a 25-year member of the ANA and the Central States Numismatic Society.

"Immerse yourself in the romance and beauty of nearly 150 years of American currency. It all comes alive in A GUIDE BOOK OF UNITED STATES PAPER MONEY, fifth edition. An engaging history book and a comprehensive catalog of valuations rolled into one, this guide covers all federal series issued from the Civil War to the present day. Paper-money collectors will appreciate the depth of the research, and American history buffs will find the narrative fascinating. Whether you're new to the hobby or a longtime collector or dealer, you will benefit from the data provided for each currency series. Market valuations are compiled from recent sale and auction records, real-world analysis of the paper-money field, and the knowledge of recognized hobby leaders. Hundreds of notes are pictured in crisp, full-color detail, face and back--dramatically illustrating the nation's history and its ideals." -- page 4 of cover.

Prior to the Civil War, the United States did not have a single, national currency. Counterfeiters flourished amid this anarchy, putting vast quantities of bogus bills into circulation. Their success, Mihm reveals, is more than an entertaining tale of criminal enterprise: it is the story of the rise of a country defined by freewheeling capitalism and little government control. Mihm shows how eventually the older monetary system was dismantled, along with the counterfeit economy it sustained.

The Federal Trade Commission receives more complaints about rogue debt collecting than about any activity besides identity theft. Dramatically and entertainingly, Bad Paper reveals why. It tells the story of Aaron Siegel, a former banking executive, and Brandon Wilson, a former armed robber, who become partners and go in quest of "paper"—the uncollected debts that are sold off by banks for pennies on the dollar. As Aaron and Brandon learn, the world of consumer debt collection is an unregulated shadowland where operators often make unwarranted threats and even collect debts that are not theirs. Introducing an unforgettable cast of strivers and rogues, Jake Halpern chronicles their lives as they manage high-pressure call centers, hunt for paper in Las Vegas casinos, and meet in parked cars to sell the social security numbers and account information of unsuspecting consumers. He also tracks a "package" of debt that is stolen by unscrupulous collectors, leading to a dramatic showdown with guns in a Buffalo corner store. Along the way, he reveals the human cost of a system that compounds the troubles of hardworking Americans and permits banks to ignore their former customers. The result is a vital exposé that is also a bravura feat of storytelling.