Timeless history of the Russian Empire ...

Russian influence on the world stage and Russian Political intrigue continue to make world news headlines. The Russian culture is steeped in a proud tradition of loyalty and honor. 

Importantly, the Russian Winter Olympics in Sochi --took place during the winter of 2014; therefore, it is of great interest to look at the history of this region, as represented in the Vladikavkaz Railroad Banknotes of 1918. 

History of the Russian Revolution, The Caucasus, and Russian political and social intrigue are represented on this amazingly rare note. 

The note was issued 1 September 1918 with black on light maroon and light blue. There is an underprint of the building on the note's face and the map of the railroad line on  the back.

At the time of issue, the average wage worker in Tsarist Russia 22 rubles  per month

On the back, you will see the  Caucasus map which illustrates the company's main rail road line running from Rostov-on-the-Don to Petrovsk and Baku. This map most certainly adds  interest and appeal to collectors world-wide.  Certainly, the history as represented on this note is significant!

The Russian Revolution saw the whole country disintegrate into regions with armies that were acting autonomously of any government claiming to be in control. The North Caucausus region in southern Russia was no exception to the rule, but while much of the paper money was often issued by civil authorities or the military, this particular note was issued by a commercial concern, in this case the Vladikavkaz Railroad Company.

During 1918 they issued some of the loveliest designed notes into circulation in that region from Rostov-Na-Don and into the Caucausus mountains. 
So here is a bit of history about  the town of Vladikavkaz which is located in the  northern end of the Caucasus Mountains. 
Current population of Vladikavkaz is primarily Russian, Ossetian, Armenian, and Georgian.  
Vladikavkaz was founded in 1784 as a fortress during the Russian conquest of the Caucasian region. For t his region, Vladikavkaz has been the longtime military and polical center of Russia  in this Caucasus region. The name of this town changed many times but in 1990, Vladikavkaz name became its official name.  

VLADIKAVKAZ RAILROAD BANKNOTES - 1918

The City of Vladikavkaz lies at the northern foot of the Caucasus Mountains on the Terek River and is the capital of the Republic of North Ossetia. The city was founded in 1784 as a fortress during the Russian conquest of the Caucasus and was for many years the main military base in the region. In 1875 a railway was built to connect Vladikavkaz to Rostov-on-Don and Baku in Azerbaijan.
A beautifully detailed map of this rail line is featured on the reverse of these notes of 1918.

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For more information and stunning examples of World Paper Money and Russian Notes, visit treasuredstocks.com or call me, Jeff Smith at 870-670-4255

Treasured stocks.com was founded in 1987 to provide currency enthusiasts and investors with a wide choice of currency items. The site offers a range of national and international coins and currency for the value conscious currency collector and investor. Please contact us at 870-670-4255 or email us at jeff@treasuredstocks.com

We look forward to serving you.

Compare -- Contrast FRBNs and FRNs ... or are they the same thing?

Question: Are Federal Reserve Bank Notes (FRBNs) and

Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) the same?

No, they are very different notes and it is important to make the distinction when buying, selling, or trading these notes. Here is some history and information. 

1929 ..$20 Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis PMG 63 EPQ Choice Unc. Fr#: 1870-I

Federal Reserve Bank Notes, also known as FRBNs, were issued in the US between 1915 and 1934. As legal US tender, they were regarded, just as other kinds of notes, according to their face value. There are 12 Federal Reserve Banks. It is important to note that Federal Reserve Bank Notes are backed up by just ONE of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks, not all of these banks as a unified group.

And size does matter. Two size designations exist for FRBNs – large size and small size. Large size FRBNs were initially issued in 1915 with the five, ten, and twenty dollar denominations. The one, two, and fifty dollar denominations surfaced in 1918.

Small size FRBNs were emergency printed in 1933 (during the depths of the American Depression), using paper stock from the printing of National Bank Notes and in denominations ranging from five through 100 dollars. During the depression, Americans lost faith and trust in their banks, so wide-spread currency hoarding created extreme shortages. Of great interest to collectors is that, just as is seen in our current one dollar bills, the letter A through L appears, denoting one of the 12 Federal Reserve Districts. Since 1934, these small size FRBNs were not printed and banks stopped making them publicly available in 1945. They have serial numbers and brown seals and have the “National Currency” printed across the top of the obverse side.

FRBNs were issued by each individual member bank, as mentioned, and were phased out in the mid-1930s. FRBNs are considered by numismatists to be very different bills, when compared with Federal Reserve Notes.

Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) are still in production. Notably, the term Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) is considered to be the best term to use when describing circulating US paper currency. The only U.S. banknotes still in production since 1971 are the FRNs.

FRNs were backed in a similar way to National Bank Notes, using U.S. bonds, but issued by Federal Reserve banks instead of by chartered National banks. Before 1971, FRNs (in theory) were supported by an equal amount of US Treasury gold. Under President Nixon, however, the gold standard was replaced by a government declaration that the paper money had value and was legal tender in the US. 

But how was this possible? In December of 1913, during his first year in office, Democratic President Woodrow Wilson aggressively influenced and subsequently signed into law the Federal Reserve Act. This Act of Congress established the Federal Reserve System and the US Central Banking System (a major reform for US banking and currency).

Importantly, this Act provided the US central banking system official authority to issue Federal Reserve Notes and Federal Reserve Bank Notes as legally authorized US currency. Notably, the bill’s co-sponsor was the Chairmen of the House Banking and Currency Committee, Virginia Congressional Democratic Representative Carter Glass.

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If there is an FRN or FRBN that you are looking for and it is not listed on our we b site at treasuredstocks.com, please give us a call at 870-670-4255 or email Jeff:   jeff@treasuredstocks.com

Treasured stocks.com was founded in 1987 to provide currency and coin enthusiasts and investors with a wide choice of items. The company offers a range of national and international coins and currency for the value conscious currency enthusiast.

Treasuredstocks President is in the News!

Jeff Smith of Treasuredstocks.com wins

2016 Currency Collection Awards

As investors show concern about recent political uncertainty, they are turning to currency dealers like Jeff Smith of Treasured Stocks.com  to help them invest in historical coins and currency such as Military Payment Certificates (MPCs), foreign currency, and Colonial Notes. 

Besides the enjoyment of preserving history, hundreds of numismatists like Smith believe their financial investments in coins and currency are secure, even during economic and political confusion. 

Jeff Smith, left, with Laura A. Kessler (center), Vice President PCGS Currency

Smith agrees that one great way to learn about history and military conflicts is through currency and certificates. However, before making any purchase, he recommends learning everything 
you can about the dealer as well as the coin or collection you want. That’s where Treasuredstocks.com comes in. “We want our customers to admire the beauty and history of the note, as much as the value. We are in the business of honoring and preserving that history,” Smith proclaimed. 

Having recently won the 2016 Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) “Best of the Registry” award for the MPC  “Stars and Stripes Collection,” Jeff Smith, President of Treasuredstocks.com, knows a great deal about building coin and currency collections. 

A military veteran of the US Navy, Smith’s “US Military Payment Certificates (MPCs) are some of most artistic pieces of currency ever printed. A set such as this is the epitome for the true military collector. This entire set is remarkable and an impressive accomplishment,” wrote the Set Registry Managers from PCGS.

Numismatists world-wide are finding both joy and financial reward while building coin and paper money collections. “I’m finding more and more of my customers are calling me and asking me how they can start investing in currency collections,” explained Jeff Smith, Company President. “I spend hours on the phone educating new and even experienced enthusiasts as to the best currency and coin investments to make.”

“These coins and notes are living treasures,” reports Smith. “I look at these notes and see not only the financial impact they made but the political and social environments surrounding them.” Some of Smith’s favorite notes have been those with true historical significance. 

Understanding the history of each item is an important value consideration. So too is its condition. “One fold on a piece of currency will likely drop its value in half. Building collections is also important,” Smith continued. “Investors may be willing to bid higher for an item they need to complete a collection, as well as one that is extremely rare.”

Treasured stocks.com was founded in 1987 to provide currency and coin enthusiasts and investors with a wide choice of items. The company offers a wide range of national and international coins and currency for the value conscious currency enthusiast.

Colonial Currency Collections -a GREAT Investment!!

Why Collecting Colonial Currency Notes 

is such a GREAT idea!

 One of the most exciting and totally intuitive ways to launch a currency collection set is to “begin” with the beginning of this great nation. So many new collectors are deciding to build their own historical collection by creating an heir-loom group of colonial notes. Because all 13 original colonies initiated their own currency notes, numismatists young and old are able to “acquire” and put together a collection of notes from all 13 of the original colonies.

Though the perception is that these notes are of a premium price, collectors are still able to find and purchase notes from all 13 colonies for a relatively fair price. Once the original collection is in place, these collectors will adjust, upgrade, and “fine-tune” their collections by seeking notes with higher grades.
Collections with all 13 colonies are then passed down from generation-to-generation, as family heirlooms, pride in our country, and outstanding investments.

But affordable prices will NOT last! Hoards of new currency collectors are reaching retirement age, are considering the potential of a 13-colony set collection, and are “in droves” contributing to higher demand and higher prices. Additionally, colonial notes were subject to a great deal of counterfeiting. Thus, graded and authenticated colonial notes are increasingly scarce and selling for higher and higher prices.
Adding to the scarcity of these precious 13 colony colonial notes, is their age and the relatively humble printing and paper quality of the notes. Thus, the problem of moisture and the normal use wear and tear that paper endures has had a dramatic effect on the quality and quantity still available. Likewise, a large number of colonial notes that were stashed away in homes and banks were lost forever during the San Francisco Earthquake and Chicago Fire disasters.

THE most common way to start a colonial note set collection is by purchasing a note from each of the 13 original colonies. Treasuredstocks.com has full colonial note set collections available. We also have graded and authenticated notes from each of the 13 Colonies. Prices are fair and reasonable – but these prices are destined to increase dramatically. Call us at 870-670-4255  or email jeff@treasuredstocks.com  for help and support, as you venture into Colonial Note Set collection.

For more information about this and other collectable coins and currency, please visit our web site at http://www.treasuredstocks.com/or email  jeff@treasuredstocks.com

History and intrigue behind Chief Silver Certificates

Chief Silver Certificates

One of my all-time favorite Large Size currency notes is the 1899 Large Size Blue Seal Five Dollar “Chief”.

This note shows, as its center and central figure, the image of brave Chief Running Antelope who became Head Chief of the Hunkpapa in 1851.

He was born in South Dakota in 1821 and raised in native traditional skills and values. As diplomat, communicator, and warrior Chief Running Antelope was a friend and adviser to Chief Sitting Bull during the Plains Indian conflicts. He believed, however, that native nations should compromise with, not fight against, whites.

If you are looking at a Chief Silver Certificate you are looking at a picture of the only Native American Indian to be featured on a US Currency item. The engraved picture is not without controversy, however. The story is that Chief Running Antelope is shown wearing a Pawnee head dress, not Hunkpapa, because the one the Chief actually wore was too tall for the engraving. Another version of that story is that the Chief was told to wear the Pawnee head dress during the photographic session which he adamantly refused to do. Either way, the head dress show on his head is Pawnee.

Chief Running Antelope was pictured on the five dollar Silver Certificate in 1899. Unfortunately, he died long before the printing, sometime between 1896 and 1897. 

These notes are also known as “onepapa,”  (a bit of a misnomer for the Oncpapa/Hunkpapa Tribe of the Sioux Nation), “Chief Antelope,” “Chief Onepapa” or quite often just the “$5 Chief..”

The “Chief” notes are highly sought-after, collectable, and if graded at a higher scale, extremely valuable.

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For more information and stunning examples of Silver Certificates, Large Size Notes, and Blue Seal Notes, visit treasuredstocks.com or call Jeff Smith at 870-670-4255

Treasured stocks.com was founded in 1987 to provide currency enthusiasts and investors with a wide choice of currency items. The site offers a range of national and international coins and currency for the value conscious currency collector and investor. Please contact us at 870-670-4255 or email us at jeff@treasuredstocks.com

We look forward to serving you!