Found Money

[kevin_standlee]

Last night, Lisa was clearing out some boxes of stuff that hadn't been touched in ages (probably since before we moved here) and found something unexpected.



She brought these two 10-guilder banknotes and joked, "Can I upgrade my ConFrancisco membership with these?"

(ConFrancisco, the 1993 Worldcon, was selected at ConFiction, the 1990 Worldcon in The Hague, Netherlands. This was pre-Euro and the site selection voting fee was 47 guilders; it was a foolish choice of price and really should have been set to 50 guilders, but never mind about that. After we won, we also accepted guilders for upgrades, but only at the convention. At that time, one guilder was worth approximately US$0.25.)

Based on my searching online, these appear to be World War II-vintage banknotes issued in 1943 during the German occupation of the Netherlands. They seem to have some value, as I find them advertised online at prices starting around $10. What we'll do with them, we haven't yet decided.

Comments

[jcfiala]

They look pretty nice, I'd be tempted to get a simple frame and display them on the wall somewhere.

[delosharriman]

These are much nicer looking than the notes brought in by the Allied liberation forces (printed by the American Banknote Company). I can supply plastic holders if desired. With photo corners & a piece of artist's matte-board, one can create a very nice little framed display.

[kevin_standlee]

While looking up these notes, I saw the Allied Liberation guilders, and I agree with you. We'd like to display these. Lisa is unsure how we came to acquire them. Probably from her father or grandfather, but she's not sure.

[delosharriman]

I have a piece of mulberry-coloured matte board which looks like it should harmonize, colour-wise, with these notes. I'd be happy to send it your way.

The main interest of the ABNCo liberation notes for me is that they form a series with similar notes printed for the Dutch East Indies, & also for Luxembourg. It makes a thematically interesting collection, although not a visually interesting one! They're very different from the occupation currency used by US forces in Germany & Japan.

[kevin_standlee]

Thank you!