FLEA MARKET BOOK PURCHASE INCLUDED A NATIONAL BANK NOTE
The E-Sylum (6/21/2009)
Book Content
This story from Carroll County, Arkansas tells how a flea market purchase yielded an unexpected bonus. -Editor
Bob Coggins, who does handyman work and other odd jobs for Green Forest Police Chief John Bailey, was browsing through the used books at Macdoo's flea market on Green Forest's Main Street in early May when he saw an old book that caught his interest. He bought it, but put it aside. Last week, he sat back in his easy chair, opened the book and a piece of paper fell out.
It was an over-sized $2 bill with a battleship on the back. Bob looked it over, noticed that it had two different dates--1914 and 1918--and thought maybe he had something.
Kerby kept researching on the Internet and found that in the last month, bills similar to the one held by Coggins had sold for $1,500 and more at a couple of Internet coin shops. Furthermore, a pristine, uncirculated bill identical to Coggins' was currently being offered for $4,750 by a dealer in California.
In collectors' language, the bill is known as a "1918 $2 Battleship FRBN Minneapolis."
It is the only large-sized, $2 bill issued as a Federal Reserve Bank Note. Each note has the issuing Federal Reserve Bank's name, such as Denver or San Francisco or New York, and could only be redeemed at that bank. The front of the note features a portrait of Thomas Jefferson to the left and wording in the entire center. The reverse features a World War I battleship, the only U.S. currency ever to do so.
It would look nice in a frame on the wall of Coggins' apartment, he admits, but he'd rather have the cash.
We've discussed the topic before, but it's been a while. Has anyone made an interesting find within the pages of a newly purchased old book? They're typical resting places for valuables, and it's not uncommon for things to be forgotten. -Editor
To read the complete article, see: Surprise windfall found in pages of used book (www.carrollconews.com/story/1547828.html)