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Collecting a “Box of 20” in World Paper Money

In United States coins there has been a concept the past couple of years called the “box of 20.” It takes its name from the storage boxes for certified coins, which typically hold 20 slabbed coins. The idea is that one is not limited or focused on a specific series, type or theme. Instead, each collector decides how to fill in the box of 20. First of all, 20 is a nice round number, that certainly constitutes a collection, yet is not so big as to be unmanageable. In addition, the choice of what belongs in a collector’s box of 20 can make it as affordable or expensive as one likes. And if you are a collector who thinks 20 items is not enough, there is no limit as to how many boxes you can put together!

Personally, I am a very big fan of the box of 20 concept, especially for world currency. The fact of the matter is that completion of anything in world paper is becoming increasingly difficult. Rarities don’t come up for sale very often, and in a lot of instances, completion is further complicated by a lack of understanding what a complete collection even is. For example, if you collect the paper money of India, you can limit yourself to just the Reserve Bank issues of independent India, but are you going to include the Gulf Rupees? What about different signatures? Prefixes? Instead, if you build a collection of Indian notes in a box of 20, YOU decide what to put in there. If one box is not enough, you can start another. Although if you really want to dedicate yourself to the concept,after your box is full challenge yourself to sell something before you add something else.  

The possibilities are endless. Here are just some ideas for a box of 20:

-Notes from around the world in Gem Uncirculated condition with a 19th century date

-Notes from your favorite country that you visited on a European vacation

-Notes with airplanes in the design

-Notes from the British Commonwealth with pen signed signatures

-Notes from postcolonial Africa in finest known grades

How are you going to fill your box of 20? Let me know at [email protected]. As always, if you are looking to buy or sell in Stack’s Bowers Galleries at auction, don’t hesitate to reach out to me for assistance.

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