ordicio

Collecting guide

How to Collect Banknotes and Paper Money

Banknotes, emergency money and other paper money, plus historic stocks and bonds.

Paper money tells history in a way coins rarely do: inflations, occupations, short-lived states and local emergencies all left notes behind. Because notes are printed in long runs with changing signatures and series, identifying one exactly takes more than its face value.

Getting Started

ordicio sorts paper money as collectors do:

Choose a country, a period or a theme. The notes of one series with all their signature combinations make a satisfying, well-defined goal.

What to Record

Condition and Grading

Notes are graded on a 70-point scale, as used by PMG and PCGS Banknote, from Poor through Fine and Extremely Fine to Uncirculated (60 and above). PMG adds EPQ, Exceptional Paper Quality, for notes that have not been washed, pressed or otherwise processed. Folds, pinholes, tears, stains and trimmed margins all count. If a note is certified, record the service and the certification number.

Care and Storage

Keep notes flat in sleeves of inert polyester (Mylar), never PVC. Do not iron, wash or tape a note: these “repairs” are easy for a grader to see and lower the value. Store notes dark, cool and dry.

Mistakes to Avoid

Kinds of Banknotes & Paper Money

The Data Sheet for Banknotes & Paper Money

The 31 fields worth recording for banknotes & paper money, grouped as in the ordicio app.

Identification

Country Text
Country of origin or issue, by its usual English name (historic states as named at the time, e.g. Kingdom of Bavaria).
Issuer Text
State, ruler, city or bank that issued the piece, e.g. Roman Empire, Kingdom of France, Free City of Hamburg, Deutsche Bundesbank.
Denomination Text
Face value and unit, e.g. 2 Euro, Denarius, Thaler, 10 Mark.
Date on note Text
Date printed on the note, e.g. 1.8.1922, Series 1934.
Catalogue references Text
Catalogue numbers with the catalogue named; coins KM, Numista N, Schoen, Jaeger (J.), ancient RIC, RRC, RPC, Sear (SG), SNG; banknotes Pick, Rosenberg, Friedberg.
Reference link Link
Web page about this object or its reference entry (catalogue, database, sale).

Features

What distinguishes this note from others of the same issue.

Serial number Text
Individual serial number of this object, as marked on it.
Signatures Text
Printed signatures (and signature combination number in the catalogue).
Printer Text
Printer named on the note, e.g. Giesecke & Devrient, Bradbury Wilkinson, ABNCo.
Watermark Text
Watermark of the paper, e.g. portrait of Goethe, star pattern.
Note status Choice
Whether the note was issued, a specimen or proof, a replacement or a copy.
  • Issued note
  • Specimen
  • Proof
  • Remainder (unissued)
  • Replacement / star note
  • Error note
  • Contemporary counterfeit
  • Replica / facsimile
Variety / error Text
Die variety or minting error with its reference, e.g. doubled die obverse, off-centre strike, mule.

Physical

Width (mm) Number
Width, measured from the front.
Height (mm) Number
Height, measured upright as the object is meant to stand or hang.

Condition

Note grade Choice
Condition of the paper by handling and folds, with the matching numbers of the PMG 70-point scale.
11 choices
  • Poor (1)
  • Fair (2)
  • Good (4 to 6)
  • Very good (8 to 10)
  • Fine (12 to 15)
  • Very fine (20 to 35)
  • Extremely fine (40 to 45)
  • About uncirculated (50 to 58)
  • Uncirculated (60 to 62)
  • Choice uncirculated (63 to 64)
  • Gem uncirculated (65 to 70)
Numeric grade Whole number, 1 to 70
Sheldon number 1 to 70 from a grading service or own estimate, e.g. 63 for MS-63.
Grading service Choice, or your own
Third-party grading service whose holder or certificate the piece has.
  • PCGS
  • NGC
  • ANACS
  • ICG
  • PMG
  • PCGS Banknote
  • Not certified
Certification number Text
Number on the grading holder (slab) or authentication certificate, to look it up in the service's database.
Designations Text
Additions to the grade, e.g. RD/RB/BN for copper colour, Full Bands, Deep Cameo, DMPL, EPQ, Star; details grades such as cleaned or holed.
Condition notes Text
Faults, wear and damage in detail.

Acquisition

How and when the object came into the collection.

Acquisition date Date
Date the object came into the collection.
Acquisition method Choice, or your own
How the object came into the collection.
  • Purchase
  • Auction
  • Gift
  • Inheritance
  • Exchange / trade
  • Self-collected / found
  • Commission
Acquired from Text
Seller, auction house (with sale and lot number), donor or place where it was found.
Purchase price Amount
Price paid including fees and premiums.
Provenance Text
Earlier owners and the object's history, oldest first, with sources (labels, invoices, sale catalogues).

Value

Estimated and insured value.

Estimated value Amount
Current market value as estimated.
Valuation date Date
Date of the current value estimate.
Valuation basis Choice
What the estimated value is based on.
  • Own estimate
  • Recent sales / auction results
  • Dealer offer
  • Catalogue value
  • Professional appraisal
  • Insurance valuation
Insured value Amount
Sum the object is insured for.

Collection record

Your own inventory data.

Inventory number Text
Your own number or label for the object, e.g. C-0042, as written on its label or album page.
Storage location Text
Where the object is kept, e.g. room, cabinet, drawer, album and page, box.

Standards and References

The data sheets follow the standards collectors, dealers and museums use:

Updated October 24, 2026