BOOK REVIEW: WORLD PAPER MONEY ERRORS BY MORLAND FISCHER

My copy of the World Paper Money Errors book by Morland C. Fischer arrived this week, and it's a visual treat. There is precious little text in the book, but for anyone at least somewhat familiar with U.S. paper money errors, more text is unnecessary. Methods of producing banknotes are similar throughout the world, and the types of errors are understandably similar.

Fischer's book organizes the error notes into several standard categories, including shifted overprint errors, inverted faces/backs, inverted or missing overprints, mismatched serial numbers, etc.

One feature is really like is the inclusion of images of normal notes alongside the error notes - this makes it very easy for those of us not already familiar with the notes to clearly see the problem. I also commend the author and publisher for including images of BOTH sides of the error note, even though often only one side exhibits the error. Again, this is a great help for those unfamiliar with the banknotes of a given country.

Another feature I found useful was the section illustrating each major type of error with both a U.S. banknote and one from another country. This focus on U.S. readers and collectors is nice for those of us in the U.S., although I wonder if readers from other countries will care for it.

Similarly, I wonder if the book's "FEN Scale" (Foreign Error Note categories) is appropriately named. Germany banknotes aren't foreign to a German, but U.S. banknotes are. The book's title is appropriately less provincial.

I'm not qualified to review the book's price estimates, but I think most readers will find them quite useful. All in all this seems to be an extremely useful guide to the field. Illustrated in color throughout, the book is a visual delight - even a casual reader should enjoy the wonderful range and beauty of the world banknotes pictured within (typically three notes per page).

THE BOOK BAZARRE

DAVID SKLOW - FINE NUMISMATIC BOOKS Sale #10, Closes Saturday June 12, 2010, catalog is on my web site www.finenumismaticbooks.com and available on request at no charge. PH: (719) 302-5686, FAX: (719) 302-4933. EMAIL: numismaticbooks@aol.com. USPS: Box 6321, Colorado Springs, CO. 80934. Highlights for Sale # 11, October 9, 2010 the Q. David Bowers Research Library Sale Part III and other consignments are also on the web site.

Why Consign your Numismatic Literature Treasures to David Sklow-Fine Numismatic Books?

We have the lowest consignment fees in the industry.
We have a 60% minimum acceptable bid, to protect your interests.
We have three auctions a year, scheduled, so you know when your items will be offered.
All our auction material is consigned; we do not own lots in our auctions.
We do not charge for our catalogs, so that maximum exposure occurs.
We have the fastest consignment payoffs in the industry.
We do not issue fixed prices lists, as auctions are our only business!

Why bid in our Numismatic Literature Auctions?

We do not charge for our catalogs.
We have the lowest per lot packing fees of any major Numismatic Literature dealer.
We ship lots in the shortest time frame after a sale closes.
We reduce all bids when competition permits.
We work with all bidders to make your auction experience the best it can be!