The latest edition of the premier reference book on Japanese coins, the 2021 catalog of Japanese coins and banknotes was published in conjunction with the 18th Tokyo Coin Show on November 6th, 2019.  Published by the Japan Numismatic Dealers Association (JNDA), this 318-page masterpiece is an indispensable reference work that is profusely illustrated. 

Let’s just cut to the chase. This is the big loaded question: “Why should I bother to collect fun notes?” This has been the big dispute among collectors for years. Some purists would go into deep trauma if they discovered a “fun note” in their collection.

It is common knowledge that real banknotes incorporate the latest anti-counterfeiting technology. What is not as well known is that the new generation of fun notes also incorporate these new features including:

Well, that is not always so easy to answer, but a fun note (AKA Private issue note, art note, fantasy note) is a note created by an individual but not issued by a bank or authorized by a specific government entity.