Monday, December 31, 2001

Richer countries have cleaner banknotes

Bloomberg News
Tue Aug 10 2010


PARIS - The richer and more economically free a country, the fewer bacteria its banknotes carry, according to a study of paper money in 10 countries ranging from Burkina Faso to the United States.

Researchers found a “strong correlation” between the amount of bacteria per square centimeter on banknotes and a country’s ranking on the Index of Economic Freedom, Wageningen University in the Netherlands said on its website Monday

Currencies studied included the euro, dollar, British pound, Chinese yuan and Mexican peso. (The Canadian dollar was not part of the study.)

Countries that rank lower on the economic freedom index presumably have older banknotes to which bacteria more easily cling, the university said.

“The age of banknotes plays a role,” Wageningen University said. “The older banknotes are, the more wrinkled they are, which means dirt and bacteria can more easily settle into the folds of the bills.”

The material from which banknotes are made also plays a role in their cleanliness. Polymer-based bills such as euro notes contained a quarter of the bacteria on the cotton-based banknotes used by most countries.

Researchers in Australia, Burkina Faso, China, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Britain and the United States studied a total of 1,280 banknotes collected at food-retail locations from stores to cafeterias, Wageningen said.

Concentrations of illness-causing bacteria were low and in no case “alarming,” the university said. “If everyone washes their hands before eating or preparing a meal, the chances to get ill are not very big,” it said.

Monday, January 1, 2001

Switzerland P72 100 Franken

Pick: P72
Date: Issued 1996

Colour: Dark blue, purple and brown-orange on multicolor underprint.



The first two digits of the serial number on the back of the Swiss Franken represents the year that the banknote was printed.


(05) Printed in 2005


(06) Printed in 2006


(07) Printed in 2007


(08) Printed in 2008

Front: Alberto Giacometti (artist) at upper left and bottom. Vertical format.

Back: Bronze bust Lotar II at top, sculpture Homme Qui Marche I repeated at center, time-spa

Watermark: Alberto Giacometti

Printer: Unknown

Size: 159 × 74 mm

Varieties
a. 1996. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Markus Lusser (Director)
a. 1996. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Jean-Pierre Roth (Director)
a. 1996. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Bruno Gehrig (Director)
b. 1997. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Markus Lusser (Director)
b. 1997. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Jean-Pierre Roth (Director)
b. 1997. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Bruno Gehrig (Director)
c. 1998. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Markus Lusser (Director)
c. 1998. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Jean-Pierre Roth (Director)
c. 1998. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Bruno Gehrig (Director)
d. 1999. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Markus Lusser (Director)
d. 1999. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Jean-Pierre Roth (Director)
d. 1999. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Bruno Gehrig (Director)
e. 2000. Signature Eduard Belser, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Jean-Pierre Roth (Director)
e. 2000. Signature Eduard Belser, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Bruno Gehrig (Director)
e. 2000. Signature Eduard Belser, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Niklaus Blattner, (Director)
f. 2003 Signature Eduard Belser, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Jean-Pierre Roth (Director)
f. 2003 Signature Eduard Belser, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Bruno Gehrig (Director)
f. 2003 Signature Eduard Belser, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Niklaus Blattner (Director)

Catalog Value:
a. UNC - $200
b.
UNC - $195
c. UNC - $195
d. UNC - $190
e. UNC - $190
f. UNC - $185

Switzerland P71 50 Franken

Pick: P71
Date: Issued 1994

Colour: Deep olive-green and purple on multicolor underprint.




The first two digits of the serial number on the back of the Swiss Franken represents the year that the banknote was printed.


(05) Printed in 2005


(06) Printed in 2006


(07) Printed in 2007


(08) Printed in 2008

Front: Artist Sophie Taeuber-Arp at upper left, bottom. Vertical format.

Back:Examples of her abstract art works.

Watermark: Sophie Taeuber-Arp

Printer: Unknown

Size: 148 × 74 mm

Varieties
a. 1994. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger, (President, Bank Council), Dr. Markus Lusser (Director)
a.1994. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger (President, Bank Council), Dr. Hans Meyer (Director)
a. 1994. Signature Dr. Jakob Schönenberger (President, Bank Council), Jean Zwahlen (12mm)(Director)

Catalog Value:
a.

Switzerland P67 10 Franken

Pick: P67
Date: Issued 2000

Colour: Brown-orange, dark brown and blue on multicolor underprint.




The first two digits of the serial number on the back of the Swiss Franken represents the year that the banknote was printed.


(05) Printed in 2005


(06) Printed in 2006


(07) Printed in 2007


(08) Printed in 2008


Like P66 but with microperforation '10' added.



Front: Architect Le Corbusier (Charles Édouard Jeanneret-Gris) at upper left and bottom center. Vertical format.

Back: "Modular" measuring system and buildings in Chandigarh designed by Le Corbusier.
Vertical format.

Watermark: Le Corbusier.

Printer: Unknown

Size: 126 × 74 mm

Varieties
a. 2000. Signature Eduard Belser (President, Bank Council), Dr. Hans Meyer (Director)
a. 2000. Signature Eduard Belser (President, Bank Council), Dr. Jean-Pierre Roth (Director)
a. 2000. Signature Eduard Belser (President, Bank Council), Dr. Bruno Gehrig (Director)


Catalog Value:
a.

Germany - Democratic Republic P25 50 Mark

Pick: P25
Date:1964

Colour: Deep green on multicolor underprint.





Also known as the East German Mark, these notes were withdrawn from circulation on July 1, 1990 in preparation for the reunification of Germany. The West Germany Mark known as the Deutsche Mark became the currency of East Germany.

Almost all the paper money about 100 billion Mark, or 620 million banknotes, including all the currency collected at the time of the monetary union and the never-used 200 and 500 Mark banknotes, was placed into storage in 1990 and 1991 in two 300 m (1000 ft) long sandstone caverns in the Thekenberge. The banknotes were sealed and left to rot. In 2001 two Halberstadt residents had gained entry to the tunnel system through an unsecured opening and made off with numerous banknotes. The appearance among collectors of uncirculated 200 and 500 Mark notes, and of the never-issued military currency, is attributed to this theft. Because of this theft between April and June 2002, 298 containers of the remaining currency were burned in an incinerator.

Front: Friedrich Engels at right. Friedrich Engels (28 November 1820 – 5 August 1895) was a German industrialist, social scientist, author, political theorist, and philosopher.



Engels together with Karl Marx in 1848 wrote The Communist Manifesto. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are considered the founding father of Communism.

Back: Wheat threshing at left center. Men working on a communal farm. East German coat of arms from 1955–1990 on left. The National Emblem of GDR featured a hammer, and a compass, surrounded by a ring of rye. The hammer represented the factory workers, the compass represented the intelligentsia and the ring rye the farmers.

Watermark: Friedrich Engels.

Printer: Unknown

Size:

Varieties
a. Issued note.
r.
Replacement note. Serial # prefix ZA-ZE.
s.
Specimen.

Catalog Value:
a. UNC - $30
r. UNC - $35
s. UNC - $25

Ceylon P34 1 Rupee

Pick: P34
Date:
20.12.1941-01.03.1949.
Colour: Violet, olive green, and blue.




Ceylon P34 1 Rupee 1942 perforated left edge.



Ceylon P34 1 Rupee 1943 straight left edge.

This note was issued with a straight and perforated left edge. The perforated left edge notes were issued in a booklet format from which the owner would tear off a note to be spent. Perforated edge notes with the booklet portion intact are rare.

Confirmed dates, signatures, and edge varieties are listed below. 

Front: King George VI. George VI (14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death. He was the last Emperor of India, and the first Head of the Commonwealth.

Back: Elephant, mahout, and palm tree

Watermark: Chinthe

Printer: (Unknown, India).

Varieties
a. 1ST FEBRUARY 1941.  Signature H. J. Huxham & C. H. Collins. Straight edge.
a. 20TH DECEMBER 1941. Signature H. J. Huxham & C. H. Collins. Preforated edge
a. 19TH SEPTEMBER 1942. Signature H. J. Huxham & C. H. Collins. Straight edge.
a. 19TH SEPTEMBER 1942. Signature H. J. Huxham & C. H. Collins. Preforated edge.
a. 4TH AUGUST 1943. Signature H. J. Huxham & C. H. Collins. Straight edge.
a. 4TH AUGUST 1943. Signature H. J. Huxham & C. H. Collins. Perforated edge.
a. 12TH JULY 1944. Signature H. J. Huxham & C. H. Collins. Straight edge.
a. 24TH JUNE 1945. Signature O. E. Goonetilleke & C. E. Jones.
a. 7TH MAY 1946. Signature O. E. Goonetilleke & C. E. Jones. Straight edge.
a. 7TH MAY 1946. Signature O. E. Goonetilleke & C. E. Jones. Perforated edge.
a. 1st MARCH 1947. Signature O. E. Goonetilleke & C. E. Jones. Straight edge.
a. 1st JUNE 1948. Signature C. E. Jones & T. D. Perera. Straight edge.
a. 1st MARCH 1949. Signature C. E. Jones & T. D. Perera. Straight edge.
a. 1st MARCH 1949. Signature C. E. Jones & T. D. Perera. Perforated edge.

Catalog Value:
a. 1941 Perforated edge booklet portion intact - $350 UNC