Found Mutilated Currency In Old Book. Worth Anything?

[rolekz]

Hey Everyone,

Stumbled across this site after looking around for some information on my find. Most likely will be coming back very often. This place is full of information.
I purchased a book earlier today and inside all the pages was a bunch of torn up old paper US Currency ranging from $1-$500. Most of them are either the left or right sides of the bills. not sure if this is worth anything at all?

 

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[Citiboy289]

That is sure something of interest ! Only thing I can think of ( as stupid as it sounds ) Is I wonder if it was not some sort of secret identification system ? I don't recall where but I read once somewhere that people who had to identify other SPY types would cut a dollar bill so when they met if the pieces matched they could identify and verify one another ------- Some of what you have is old national currency Good Luck you do have an interesting find there You might want to scroll down in the forum section of T net I think there is a currency section and post there also

 

[rolekz]

Would be extremely interesting if that were the case. They were all found in an old book called The Outline Of History by H.G.Wells 4th edition I believe. Most of the money that has dates is from around the time the book was published. will check the currency section as advised.

 

[maipenrai]

Looks like a very weird find. There must be a good story behind it, keep us informed.

 

[allen_idaho]

The section of the $500 bill is a 1918 series.
The $20 section with Hugh McCulloch was printed between 1902-1904.
The rest appear to be gold and silver certificates.

That said, I don't think these fragments have any value.

 

[Citiboy289]

My only other thought would be that they could represent some sort of arrangement between 2 people , who cut the money up and each took parts , each having just enough to insure that the other didn't spend it and the other got their share. So when they met again they could put the pieces together and have a proper face value note to cash in ( sort of like an Insurance policy neither got over on the other ) I have to say that this is one of the most interesting finds I have read about here .

FYI - my theory is based upon the idea that I don't think the treasury was redeeming mutilated notes like they will do today since these seem to be national currency

 

[maipenrai]

but the middle portion is still missing, so it wouldnt be an agreement between just two people. If it was just between two people, then the bills would be split in half, each half with the serial number.

With such old bills, the curiosity value is already something.

 

[jeff of pa]

if you could confirm if the person was an artist
or Wanna-Be

 

[kitt]

B D Coopers treasure.

 

[Gold Maven]

Any info on the previous owner of the book?

 

[Sheldon J]

a true mystery, one worth looking in to

 

[packerbacker]

I don't know about value but you could make a neat collage out of them. Stack them on top of each other where they show but hide the fact they are only pieces. Then top the pile off with a good bill.

 

[Peyton Manning]

then sell it on ebay!!

 

[ERobertson]

Very neat find none-the-less.

Uncommon !

 

[Don Griffith]

Would be extremely interesting if that were the case. They were all found in an old book called The Outline Of History by H.G.Wells 4th edition I believe. Most of the money that has dates is from around the time the book was published. will check the currency section as advised.

Maybe if you could find out who the book belonged to, you could get a lead from that... Very interesting!!

 

[Rockhoppernc]

I would mount them all and have it framed.

 

[coinbug]

Somebody had a job where they handled cash from some mechanical device that sometimes tore the bill, and they saved the torn-off pieces (the rest of the bill with the serial numbers could be replaced).

That's my best guess.

In the early nineteen hundreds what sort of automated cash collector might they have had? Perhaps a device that grabbed the bill, and the piece was torn of when the person tried to pull it back. Did they have change machines at places like Automats?

That would explain the preponderance of ones, and also why someone would pull out the $500 bill, and other higher denominations, once they realized their mistake.

 

[coinbug]

sorry - double post

 

[SusanMN]

Using corners and pieces of bills was a method used years ago to swindle cash. A one dollar or five dollar bill could be altered with corners from a couple of twenties and passed off as a twenty dollar bill. These might be parts used in that kind of a scam.

 

[birdman]

Really neat. When I was a kid we bought an old suitcase from a yard sale and in a side pocket there were several cut corners from 100.00 dollar bills. I always wondered why someone would cut bills like that..Especially large notes.

I would to frame yours and display them. Great conversation pieces.