The E-Sylum:  Volume 6, Number 38, September 21, 2003, Article 12

PAPER MONEY LONGEVITY QUESTION

  David Fanning forwarded this question from Lisa Mao,
  Segment Producer, Indigo Films: "I had contacted you in
  the spring regarding Ft. Knox when we were producing a
  show on the gold depository.

  Currently I am doing research on paper money and am looking
  for an expert who can talk about its "shelf life".  Do numismatists
  deal only with coins or do they also take an interest in paper
  money?  I am interested in contacting someone who can tell me
  how long paper currency can last, and under what conditions?
  For example, if money is buried in the ground for 50 years, will
  it still be intact or will it have disintegrated?

  Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to your
  response."

  [Does anyone have some answers?  We'll forward them to
   Ms. Mao.  Meanwhile, anyone wishing to experiment is
   invited to deposit any sum of paper money in a hole I'll dig
   in my back yard, free of charge.  -Editor]

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization 
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.

To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor 
at this address: whomren@coinlibrary.com

To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum