World War II Era Foreign Paper Money
One of the more common questions we receive is about the value of World War 2 era European and Pacific Theater paper currency that our customers have run across as they go through the belongings of an older family member. Usually, these notes were brought back to the States by soldiers returning from the war.
As the soldiers were clearing out buildings and towns in WW2, they often
came across paper currency like French Francs and German Marks. By the time the war
started, many of those bills were already obsolete, and no longer legal
tender to spend, due to monetary changes or changes of governments. The
original owners had kept them hoping they would one day have value
again, much like people kept
Confederate currency after the Civil War
ended, on the hopes that the South would rise again. Some, like the
Philippines and nearby Pacific Islands, were issued by the Japanese because they thought they would
control those islands indefinitely. When the Allied troops liberated the
islands, those bills became worthless to spend and were kept as
souvenirs.While some notes can be very collectible, many of these WW2 era bills now sell for only around 50 cents to $1 each as inexpensive reminders of that very historic time.
Like any collectible paper money you may come across, be sure to keep them flat and unfolded. And never use glue or scotch tape on them as that will severely diminish any potential value they may have.
And one last note, this information on WW2 era notes also often applies to Korean War era and Vietnam War era notes as well.
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