Essential guide to notaphily
What is notaphily?
The art, science, and history behind collecting and studying paper money.
Core definition
Notaphily is the specialized discipline of researching, cataloguing, conserving, and collecting banknotes, paper money, and historical fiduciary documents issued by official entities (central banks and national treasuries) and by private ones (commercial banks, estates, and corporations).
Etymologically, the term comes from Latin nota (banknote, memorandum, promissory note) and classical Greek philos (φίλος, love or affinity). For a long time it was treated as a mere appendix of traditional numismatics; by the mid-twentieth century notaphily had become an autonomous field, with its own grading systems, a universal cataloguing standard (Pick / SCWPM), and technical research into engraving and printing.
The key difference: numismatics vs. notaphily
Striking
Numismatics
It studies metallic monetary objects: struck coins, commemorative medals, trade tokens, and bullion. The focus is the die, the metal, the weight, and the patina.
Printing
Notaphily
It studies fiduciary media on flexible substrates (rag paper, polymer, linen): banknotes, cashier’s notes, silver or gold certificates, emergency notes (notgeld), and war bonds.
A short historical path
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1. Origins in imperial China (7th–11th centuries): During the Tang and Song dynasties paper money appears as merchants’ deposit receipts, to avoid hauling heavy strings of copper cash. The world’s first official note was the Jiaozi.
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2. European goldsmiths and Stockholms Banco (1661): In Europe, the first bank to issue notes on a regular basis was Stockholms Banco in Sweden, founded by Johan Palmstruch.
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3. The free-banking era (19th century): In Latin America and the United States private issue flourished: dozens of local banks printed their own paper money, backed in specie.
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4. The fiduciary turn and polymer: After gold convertibility ended in the twentieth century, notes came to rest on each state’s economic sovereignty, later evolving toward high-security innovations such as the polymer developed in Australia in 1988.
What the notaphilist examines
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Engraving and printing
Intaglio, or talla dulce (tactile relief), offset lithography, and typography for numbering. Teller and director signatures, and the imprint (ABNCo, De La Rue, Waterlow, national printers).
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Security devices
Light-and-shade watermarks, fluorescent fibres, microtext security threads, optically variable inks (OVI), and complex transparent windows in synthetic substrate.
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Serials and varieties
Replacement notes (marked with a star or a special letter), low numbers (e.g. 00000001), radars or palindromes, butterfly cutting errors, and ink misregistration.
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Specimens and proofs
Sample pieces perforated or overprinted SPECIMEN or MUESTRA, monochrome plate proofs, and colour-combination trials.
Conservation scale (grading)
| Grade | Abbrev. | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Uncirculated | UNC | Crisp, immaculate paper; perfect corners; no folds or fading. |
| About Uncirculated | AU | Virtually perfect; a single light fold or a slight rub on one corner. |
| Extremely Fine | XF / EF | Original crispness remains; up to three clean folds may be present. |
| Very Fine | VF | Clear signs of circulation and loss of sheen and texture, but no major tears. |
| Fine / Very Good / Good | F / VG / G | Heavy wear, soiling, small edge nicks, or handling pinholes. |
Recommended storage: inert polyester sleeves of the Mylar type (free of PVC and plasticizers). Notofilia standard
The catalog
One case to a card, left to right as each is documented. Colombia, the United States, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Guatemala, and world polymer open the row.
Every documented banknote, from any country, is in the visual catalog. It updates as each record is added. Visual banknote catalog
Giori test notes — presses, BEP trials, and European specimens — have their own page. It does not add a holding to the catalog. Giori test currency
Hawaii, the yellow seal, Allied military currency, and Operation Bernhard have their own case. It does not add a holding to the catalog. World War II emergency banknotes
- from 1811
Colombia
Period · from 1811
Read the catalog → - from 1690
United States
Period · from 1690
Read the catalog → - 1916–1944
Philippines
Period · 1916–1944
Read the catalog → - 19th c.
Puerto Rico
Period · 19th c.
Read the catalog → - 1884–2000
Ecuador
Period · 1884–2000
Read the catalog → - 1834–1948
Guatemala
Period · 1834–1948
Read the catalog → - from 1988
World polymer banknotes
Period · from 1988
Read the catalog →