How do you find out date that a bank note was printed?

Question

I have a collection of bank notes from all over the world and very few of them have dates on. Could anybody tell me how I can date the notes. Can I find out by the serial number? If so, what resource do I need to do this and/or whom/where can I take them to? Is there an online resource that can help me?

FYI the notes I have are from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Belgium, Spain, France, Norway, Germany and the United Kingdom. The ones of most interest to me are UK, Ghana and Sierra Leone.

ANY help is appreciated

Answer 1

The only way is to buy a book and there are 3 of them to cover from the first notes to 2007. There is one that cover 1961-2007. It is called Standard Catalog of World paper Money 1961-Present. It can be ordered from www.brooklyngallery.com they have discount prices on numismatic books. You could try a library or a coin club. I do not know how many notes you have but I have the new edition of World paper money 1961 to present. I actually don't collect much in paper money unless they tie into my coins as well. I collect for the history aspect. You must also realize that the dates on paper currency usually are not the date printed and in the catalog it may or may not give the date it was actually printed. It could be the date authorized. An example is here in the USA the series 1935A notes were printed well up into the World war II era 1941-45. The 1995 $2 was printed up to 2003. Hope this points you in the right direction.