Interview with Javier Blake

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When did you discover currency of the World?
I must have been about six years old. I remember seeing bills from Peru, which my mother was keeping as souvenirs from her trip abroad. I was completely fascinated by them because they looked very different from American money.

When did you start collecting?
I acquired my first currency in 1977, during a trip to Costa Rica. I brought back home a ten colones bill, and a twenty colones bill, which were clean and crisp. The rest of the money that I came across during that visit was not in collectable condition.

Have you been collecting since?
Yes, I have, and very avidly, I must add. Collecting, among other activities, helps me tremendously in dealing with the stress that is common in everyday life.

When did you become a provider of collectible currency?
I began in 1996, after the late Warren Otto Davis encouraged me to expand in that direction. He kept saying to me how the collecting community would benefit from my discipline and organizing skills. Mr. Davis also believed my knowledge of international matters and talent in several other aspects of collecting would be an asset to the hobby. After I began serving fellow hobbyists, he acted as my principal mentor in this field. As a matter of fact, my entire life's work in the area of foreign money is dedicated to the memory of Mr. Davis, a great friend and superb human being.

Where do you get so many different bills?
Throughout the years, I have made acquaintances with reputable suppliers in other countries, who are able to supply crisp uncirculated bills, whenever they can be obtained in pristine condition. Such well preserved currency is the only type that collectors actively seek for their collections. The process for getting mint unused bills is not simple. Those acquaintances have formed lasting friendships with key officials at financial institutions in each country.

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So, you must be a very well-travelled man. Have you visited every country in the World?
I've travelled some, but not every country. Thanks to improved communications worldwide, I am able to accomplish much without venturing far away from home.

You obviously have a lot of experience with foreign money. Do you consider yourself a true connoiseur of World currencies?
I do, and that is due to my continued fascination with money from around the World. Foreign bills strike an especially passionate nerve in me. It must be encoded in my genes, too!

Are you a collector first, and then a dealer, or viceversa?
I am a collector first, and then a dealer, because in order to help others effectively, you must walk in their shoes and know how they feel. The role of a dealer should be to make things easier for anyone interested in foreign money. I have experienced much, both as a collector and a customer, enabling me to anticipate most of the needs of my fellow hobbyists. As a result, I am able to provide the best possible service from the very start.

What is your area of expertise?
Modern money, from about 1910 to the present. However, I continue to learn about other areas as well, thanks to other collectors.

Why is it so important for you to help promote the hobby of collecting foreign money bills?
When I experience something that is phenomenal, the first thing I want to do is to announce it or to share it. That's just my nature. To me, collecting beautiful currency is the most exciting activity I can think of. People who meet me in person can see the instant sparkle in my eyes whenever the phrase foreign money is mentioned.

Do you have a favorite country, region or theme that you like to collect?
There is no country or theme in particular for me, because all countries make really beautiful and interesting money. For this reason, I still refuse to specialize (laughing) and I still collect bills from any region.

What is your single best advice for a beginning collector?
Collect only crisp, uncirculated bills in mint condition. Those are the ones that provide the most collecting pleasure and, in the long run, they are also the best value.