Sunday, August 23, 2009

Stamp It, Don't Lick It

Do you have an odd note and want to know its value? Leave a comment

A recent study by the American Chemical Society concluded that up to 90% of all U.S. notes contain cocaine. The reason for the high numbers could not be verified.

The Study
Using a modified gas chromatography-mass spectrometer the bills of 30 cities in 5 countries were analyzed for illicit drugs. The easiest drug to test for is cocaine so all other chemicals were dismissed. Earlier studies were broader in chemical analysis and used techniques that lead to destruction or contamination of the bills being studied.

The Stats
234 U.S. notes
27
Canadian notes
?? Brazil notes
112 Chinese notes
16 Japanese notes

Highest Percentage - U.S. #1, Canada #2, Brazil #3, China #4 , Japan #5
Highest Cities - Washington D.C. at 95% followed closely by Baltimore, Boston, and Detroit
Highest levels - Canada with 2.4 micrograms to over 2,530 micrograms of coke per banknote, U.S.A. is number 2.

Conclusion
No affect what so ever. Most of amount were less than a grain of sand and probably from cross contamination and not direct contact.

Opinion
Drug dealers and counterfeiters mostly from Mexico and South America are the likely key to the problem. International criminals love U.S. money and will sell counterfeits but only use real money when drug dealing.

The problem is so horrible that nearly every bill used outside America gets stamped.

Japanese possibly Korean stamp left, South American stamp on the right.

El Chato means The Flat? Possibly Mexican but most Latin American countries use this term.

SA possibly South Asian I've seen this among Korean stampings.

Cambio BANʞDOLLAR, L.C.G., Amery ?????, O??? Cambio.
All I know is Cambio means change.

A faint ANGEL $%&, Cambio $, ? , ? $ Money

That final bill contained 10 stamps from foreign exchange stamps. With the rampant fakes a person wanting American money must go to an exchanger who verifies the authenticity of every bill by stamping it.

Again drug dealers make there own stamps so each time the note is exchanged it gets re-stamped. By the time these bills com back to the U.S. they passed about a dozen exchangers and also several kilos of drug money.

Update: That red bird stamp L.C.G. is probably the Nazca Bird Line art from Peru.

Also these stamped notes have no extra value and may actually lose value if the ink cannot be removed.

Do you have note or currency and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

26 dollars worth, for Comments/Questions click here.:

Anonymous said...

wow, I had no idea what those stamps meant. I will take a picture the next time I see one and you can let me know what you think of it.

On another note, I found a coin while sorting through my change jar today. Any particular value?

A copper coin from the Republica de Panama. The front says Uraca over a profile of a figure with long hair (could be male or female). On the back, along with the country's name, it says Un Centesimo 1961.

Man said...

The stamps use to come from banks but not more of those Foreign Exchange place, like Check Cashing places over here. Real businesses but not exact fair.

copper coin from the Republica de Panama. The front says Uraca over a profile of a figure with long hair (could be male or female). On the back, along with the country's name, it says Un Centesimo 1961.

Uraca was a native man who fought the Spanish back in the good old days.
The coin is about $0.25 in very-fine.
It is uncommon in high grades but common in worn and low grades.

James (UK) said...

Fascinating stuff... I'll be looking at my notes when we next go to the 'States and checking them for stamps myself.

Man said...

Not to say anything bad about my NY but it usually the high crime, high immigrant places that see these stamped notes a lot.

D.C. and Detroit have high crime rates, high coke laced notes, and high volumes of stamped notes.

Let's hope you don't visit these places.

James (UK) said...

I've been to DC, and didn't find it overly scary, or feel threatened, but I know what you mean.

Anonymous said...

Man, while I should be doing something productive, I am going to snap a shot. I am not sure if it is fine, but it is hardly worn. You can give your opinion, if you care to do so.

Man said...

James-Most of the tourist places are safe it is the townies that have tend to illegal activities.

Kelly-That's okay.

Anonymous said...

I found this 1999 $20 bill the front is really high set and is almost cut but not quite the back is centered perfect. The serial # on the right side A is definitely on the corner of the 20 and The C is kind of on the tip of L in Laurence
[img]http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/31685_scan0001.jpg[/img] is it worth anything? more then $20.00? It is definitely worn...

Man said...

1999 $20 bill the front is really high set and is almost cut but not quite the back is centered perfect. The serial # on the right side A is definitely on the corner of the 20

This is a minor faulty alignment error it has no extra value.

Anonymous said...

I have a 1963 twenty dollar bill that has a misprint on the back. I am trying to figure out the value of this bill. I can send you photos if that would help. Thanks.

Man said...

1963 twenty dollar bill that has a misprint on the back. I am trying to figure out the value of this bill.

Try and describe the error or upload the picture to a free photo site and drop the link here.

Anonymous said...

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/dawn668/?action=view&current=DSC00509.jpg

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/dawn668/?action=view&current=DSC00510.jpg

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/dawn668/?action=view&current=DSC00507.jpg

I have uploaded 3 pictures, please let me know if this doesn't work. Thanks for your help.

Man said...

I have uploaded 3 pictures, please let me know if this doesn't work.

That is a partial offset printing it's about $40.00.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your help with this :)

Anonymous said...

I have an twenty dollar bill new the seals are on the back and I have one the ink is smeared.

Man said...

twenty dollar bill new the seals are on the back
This is an Overprint on the Back error it's about $250.00

one the ink is smeared.
Ink smears in most cases have no extra value.

Anonymous said...

twenty dollar bill new print not centered, top border cut off, checked with bank to see if counterfiet says its good. Worth anything?

Anonymous said...

Have $100, two $20 & $10 star bills how can I find out what they are worth?

Man said...

twenty dollar bill new print not centered, top border cut off,

Unless you see a bit of another bill it has no extra value.

Man said...

Have $100, two $20 & $10 star bills how can I find out what they are worth?

Either buy a currency book or list the year and serial number of each and I can give you an estimate.

Unknown said...

I have a twenty dollar bill that appears to have some ink discoloration the peach color is more of the same pink used on a new five and it also has a little bit of a purple tint. Is this bill worth any more than the face value of 20$

Man said...

twenty dollar bill that appears to have some ink discoloration the peach color is more of the same pink used on a new five and it also has a little bit of a purple tint.

Sounds like damage or it could be a $5 bill faked to look like a $20 either way it doesn't have any extra value.

dwan said...

my mom works at a bank and has found a 1996 $20 dollar bill with serial # AA52509309G that is in circulated but excellent condition it does not appear to be tampered with or counterfiet in any way all security features are present and correct. the department of treasury seal as well as both serial #'s are printed in light blue, the federal reserve seal as well as the A1 below the left serial # are printed in dark purple. we are just woundering if this bill has any worth beyond face value. i can provide a picture if you need it and have an email i can send it to. we have searched the web and have been unable to find another one like it! thank you in advance for any assistance you can offer.

Man said...

1996 $20 dollar bill with serial # AA52509309G that is in circulated but excellent condition it does not appear to be tampered with or counterfiet in any way all security features are present and correct. the department of treasury seal as well as both serial #'s are printed in light blue, the federal reserve seal as well as the A1 below the left serial # are printed in dark purple.

I've heard about these it happens when a solvent is sprayed on the note.
The problem is there is no way to prove that it happened at printing or later when somone brought it home.
They are not collectible so no extra value.

Anonymous said...

I have a 50$ USD not with six different stamps on them. And this is the only place I could find any info on them. Does anyone know where I can find more info on this like where the individual stamps come from?

Man said...

50$ USD not with six different stamps on them. And this is the only place I could find any info on them. Does anyone know where I can find more info on this like where the individual stamps come from?

Unfortunately since any money/bank exchange can make these stamps and they are meant to be private and not counterfeited these stamps are not made public.

Since they also have no collectors value they also don't have a following and no one is dedicated to cataloging them. Sorry.