Continuing the process of unpacking from our move from Chicago to Texas, I found one box from an estate in western Illinois.
From 1980-89, the United Nations issued annual series of stamps depicting the flags of its member nations (16 nations per year; 15 the last year). A company named Historic Providence Mint had a subscriptions service that put each of the stamps on a card (with a first day cancellation), and artwork, map and short write-up about the country, and a CU current note from that country.
They were very picky about the quality of the notes that they used, and they are mounted with Showgard mounts, so they were protected.
The cards were issued in pairs, and they cost $21.40 per pair, including shipping, so a full set would have cost about $1,712.
There was a journal/newsletter with the releases, and the last one indicates that less than 1,000 complete sets were sold. The entire collection was apparently 160 cards (the last for the United Nations, without a note); so far I have found 134 of the cards.
Although some of the notes are of minimal value, others--like the East Caribbean $5 note used for Antigua & Barbuda, catalog as high as $75.
I picked up about 10 of these at a local garage sale. The notes are top quality and are valued at more than what the person was selling them for. You can find them on Ebay, but cost varies. I would like to complete the set, but can't afford it.
So a complete set has 159 items in it. I was wondering about that. I got a partial set that appears to be the first two volumes complete, then a third one with a strange mix of cards from 1984-1988. 89 cards total. As you say, the value of the individual notes is all over the place. Nice presentation. From what I can see, the first two volumes are the most commonly sold, as people signed up for this subscription but ran out of steam somewhere on the 10-year path to completion. I don't recall ever seeing a complete set, which I'd guess is 5 books.
I own a complete collection in pristine condition acquired over 15 years or so (until the mint finally got their last banknotes that were almost impossible to find. I would accept any reasonable offer for this one of a kind collection.
