he second edition of
A History of Bermuda and its Paper Money by Nelson Page Aspen was
published on March 31, 2000. This
224-page book is printed on thick glossy paper (6" x 9"); bound with
a hard cover; and covered with a white paper dust jacket. This
smallish book is quite heavy due to the high quality of its glossy
pages. A total of 1100 copies were printed by the Taggart Printing
Corp. of West Chester. PA
The book opens with a 38-page chapter on the history of
Bermuda. This chapter was only two pages in the first edition
published in 1980.
The remainder of the book, chapters two through 16, cover bank
notes issued by the Bermuda Government dated 1914 through 1970, and
by the Bermuda Monetary Authority, dated 1975 through 1999. A total
of 48 type notes, beginning with the 1914 $1.00 note through the
1999 $20 note, have been issued for Bermuda by the Bermudian
Government followed by the Bermuda Monetary Authority.
A separate chapter is devoted to historical, descriptive and
technical data on the bank notes for each British monarch. In each
chapter, the bank notes of all denominations are described together
under the same authorization date printed on the note. Each chapter
begins with the earliest authorization dated notes which were issued
for the British monarch whose notes are described. A large-size
colored photo is shown for each differently dated obverse. A photo
of each different reverse design is shown in color. (Some reverse
designs are the same for all denominations of a particular date.)
Authorization date changes are each described separately, and
signature changes are noted, as are changes in the title of the
note's signer.
A table at the end of the chapter for each British monarch
lists the following data for the denomination of each authorization
date and series: date on note, signatures, printer, denomination,
color and size.
A separate chapter presents the valuation of each note by date
with the denominations having that date. there are valuations for
the following grades: Fine, Very Fine/Extra Fine, Almost
Uncirculated, and Crisp UNC.
Among the titles of the chapter not dealing with the notes of
a single monarch are: Acts of Parliament, Bermuda Sterling
Classification, Sterling Engraving and Printing Information, The
Decimal System, The Bermuda Monetary System, Bermuda Decimal
Classification, the Crown Agents, Specimen notes, A Guide to value
of Notes of Bermuda and Epilogue.
Mr. Aspen began collecting the bank notes of Bermuda in 1959.
This is a very well researched, well written and well presented
book, covering every aspect of Bermuda's government-issued bank
notes. the book is available at $69.00 plus $3.00 for postage from:
Dr. Nelson Page Aspen
420 Owen Road
West Chester, PA 19380
Telephone (610)696-0435.
The Parliamentary British Colony of Bermuda is situated in the
western Atlantic ocean 660 miles east of North Carolina. It consists
of 150 islands with a total area of 19 square miles and a population
of
62,472.
