Mehilba World Replacement
By Dr. Ali Mehilba
They Said
Lovely words from people who read the book.
Peter Symes
President of IBNS
There are so very many aspects to collecting world banknotes; I sometimes think it is not possible for two collectors of banknotes to collect the same theme.
Of course this is not true, there are many collectors who share common interests in world banknotes, be it by country, issuing authority or by theme.
One of the more popular aspects of collecting banknotes is collecting replacement notes; either for the countries in which a collection is assembled, or for a replacement note from any country.
Such is the interest in replacement notes, it is intriguing a consolidated work on replacement notes has not been available for some years; and previous efforts to assemble data have been rudimentary at best. This is not to say there has not been excellent studies which have included a record of replacement notes, it is simply the case the research and record of replacement notes is commonly in specific dedicated studies and catalogues of individual countries.
The book now in your hands is a serious study on replacement notes. At last the work has been done, by collating information from all over the world. Information has been gleaned from published studies, the unpublished records of many collectors, and from observations by the author and contributors to this study.
It is invariably true that one person cannot achieve great works by themselves. Although the author of this study, Dr. Ali, is not responsible for making all the observations in this study or recording much the information, it is his enthusiasm, dedication and drive to use all the resources at his command to assemble such a wealth of knowledge on the subject of replacement notes, which must be commended.
I have known Dr. Ali for many years and of his traits, enthusiasm is one of his best. He has previously harnessed his enthusiasm to research, write and publish other books on banknotes; and now replacement notes have received his attention. This book is by collectors for the collecting fraternity and undoubtedly it will find a wide audience and wide appreciation. I congratulate Dr. Ali’s enterprise and, in congratulating his efforts, I know I am pre-empting the accolades this work will receive.
Richard Pontario
Replacement issue banknotes represent just one of the myriad complexities in the sphere of paper money collecting.
Along with other enigmatic or specialty issues these notes can create confusion for beginning and experienced collectors and dealers alike.
While a good number of major note producing countries’ methods and practices for replacement notes are known, information on newer or smaller countries is incredibly hard to find, if it has been published at all.
This void of information has long needed to be filled by a single reference rather than being relegated to small sections in country specific texts.
With his new all-in-one world survey of replacement note standards and practices Dr. Mehilba has contributed to the notaphilic world a great volume of knowledge which I am sure will set the standard for any other such works on this topic.
His meticulous research, drawn from his life-long passion for this hobby, is presented in a logical and easy to understand text with full color examples to aid in the understanding of even the most complex nuances of replacement notes. This reference will be a great asset to collectors and dealers of all levels both now and in the future of this expanding hobby.
My sincere congratulations and thanks to Dr. Mehilba on the completion of this most important addition to the greater understanding of the intricacies of paper money from around the globe.
Neil and Joel Shafer
The first time I met Ali was at one of the first Paper money shows in Maastricht.
That time it was held in Maastricht and not in Valkenburg as it is today. This is now some 25 years ago. Time goes fast…..
During these 25 years, Ali and I became very good friends.
Back in these years, we both did not know much about replacements. The knowledge wasn’t there and there was no interest among the collectors. But this changed some 5 years ago. More and more collectors became aware of the replacement notes. This was a good reason to put some time into investigations about these replacements. Ali did have this time and effort.
Ali is a very seasoned collector and has an eye for good notes.
When he told me about his ambitious project to write a book about world replacemen, I was very pleased. Such a book would make collecting replacement notes more interesting. I told him he could count on my cooperation any time.
What you see in this book is the results of hard work and hundreds of hours research.
I had the privilege to see some of the chapters before they go to print, and I found it very interesting and I trust you will enjoy it as much I did.
Ali, thanks for this masterpiece!!
In the past several years and for many reasons, world replacement notes have seen a surge in popularity.
Dr. Ali Mehilba continues his research endeavors in this field with this very important catalog covering such pieces.
Growing research efforts around the world have brought replacement notes much more to the forefront than they ever have been previously. Many dealers now carry a separate category of replacement notes as part of their stock.
Replacement notes have wide appeal in many ways. First, while they certainly can be collected separately, they also can be part of many other topical collections. Next, there is great price disparity between different types. Some can be obtained for a few dollars; others are excessively rare, and some remain yet to be discovered. Third, because many are recent they are often found in high grade. Fourth, there is great variance in the ways they are designated: stars, asterisks, special prefix numbers, and a set of letters, symbols and more. Some are extremely subtle; others are relatively obvious. Fifth, many countries around the world utilize replacements, so there are new types appearing continually; even some emerging countries use replacements. Sixth, as more general catalogs list and price replacements, it is expected that this reference by Ali Mehilba will become increasingly important as the years pass.
We must credit the late Larry Parker’s pioneering research initiatives regarding replacement notes. His work was primarily done before the internet. The present work by Ali Mehilba continues Parker’s efforts into modern times.
Enjoy both this fine resource and the wonderful world of replacements!
