Care for Notes

When I started collecting notes, I have tried to find a resource to teach me on how to store my notes properly but to no avail. In this post I shall briefly summarize what I have found out for aspiring collectors.

Singapore has high humidity and this would lead to foxing(formation of yellowish/brownish spots) on notes. Thus, the rule of thumb is to keep the notes dry.

Notes can be kept in plastic sleeves, either sealed or unsealed, but never laminated. A laminated note loses all its numismatic value.

Sleeves can be bought from any collector's shop, I would recommend Lighthouse brand for your more expensive notes. A cheaper alternative would be plastic sheets that can be bought from any stationary shop, which may not be as good as they may contain PVC.

Albums can be also purchased from shops.

Be sure to keep your notes and albums somewhere dry, definitely not in cupboards together with clothes as clothes contain moisture.

Do not touch your notes with your bare hands as your hands may have oil at the surface and this will leave a permanent oil stain on the note.

Do not use your thumb and index finger to rub the note, a weird but usual practice by Singaporeans. Thus, when showing your collection to others, do not take the notes out of their sleeves, and try to have a hard plastic case for the more expensive notes.

Do not frame up your notes and put them in direct sunlight as it may cause the notes to discolour.

Never attempt to iron or wash a note with detergent as it will spoil the note and lose all their numismatic value.

MAS also provides some tips on how to preserve your currency collection. Click here.