The Value of Money

FTLComm - Kamloops - Friday, November 30, 2001

Michael Townsend writes:

I thought you might like to take a look at this. I was going through some stuff that my Dad gave me and I found all this money, about 21 bills. Some is from Nederland, France, Belgium, and Germany. The German stuff dates from 1903 to 1944, Nederland bills 1943, Belgium 1938, French stuff 1944. The bill shown above is interesting because of the amount, 5,000,000 marks printed during the height of the depression. This note (below) is 1908, and

This bank note below is 1923.

Here are a German "1" mark and 5 French Francs. But they are identical in size etc., they could have been printed in the same place as the French would still be under the control of the Germans. Anyway, I thought you might find this interesting. I wonder if this stuff is worth anything? Me Too Mike! I remember seeing the huge collection of script of various kinds my uncle brought home from Europe after World War II and it was fascinating to see and imagine the circumstances under which it was used. Much of it looked like these wartime items you have here. With our Loonie almost worth as much in metal as it is in barter this is a timely topic. We all are pretty helpless when it comes to currancy and the massive geopolitical pressures that come from governments using money to prop up their governments. The present U.S. dollar is dramatically inflated by the issuing of bonds to banks are 2% then the banks in turn lend out 90¢ for every 10¢ of bonds. Tricky financing. If you know anything about these notes Mike has shown us we would like to hear from you. Or if you have some bills that you would like to see if anyone knows about send us a scan and we can make an online collection of questionable money. Let us hope our own Canadian money does not soon join the extinct variety. Timothy W. Shire