Found Money!

"Extra Extra: Read all about it!"

"Man finds large large denomination bank notes," is what I thought a literal news headline might eventually read, based on what I discovered and thought a few mornings back.

Sudden riches were unfolding before I eyes. But could it be true?

Well, I had to follow through and investigate.

I had been rummaging around in my "one" safe, looking for something and found it, and then discovered some old bank notes.

I started to wonder. Is this my lucky day? I knew I occasionally "tucked away" the odd bank note for an emergency back-up and would promptly forget their location, as was my habit. But I always ensured the location was in something I would access if required for the given circumstance, i.e. my business Go-Bag(s) or Travel Jacket(s). Yes; I do have more than one of each set aside for specific destinations or travel purposes.

But what I also do is set aside foreign currency bank notes for out-of-country destinations to which I have travelled and to which I might want to return. No; I'm no James Bond, Jason Bourne, Jim Beam or some such person. Actually, I'm better.

Okay; stop laughing now. I am trying to tell a funny story here and I don't want to get off topic dwelling on the (presently inconsequential) "J.B." analogy. Alright, I digressed. Now, back to the story at hand.

Here's where the story begins, and I had not an inkling what lay in store me - funny, sad, whichever.

What I discovered in my personal safe was 5 bank notes, 1 of each denomination. There were:

• 20 peso and 50 peso notes; and,
• 3 Azerbaijani bank notes - 500, 1000 and 10 000 denomination.

Well, I know from experience, that I'd be lucky if the 20 and 50 peso Mexican notes would be lucky if worth 2 or 5 CND$ in Mexico, but likely less here in Canada. I've purchased pesos from a Currency exchange in Canada and in Mexico. You get a better rate here in Canada. However, if you can wait and need Mexican pesos, get them from a Mexican bank ATM where your Debit card is recognized.

Now the next currency I check is the Azerbaijani - "Azeri" - notes.

NOTE: Don't know where Azerbaijan is? I can Google it for you. But suffice to say, it's a former "province" of northern Iran long ago sold to an old Russian Czar, then transferred to the newly created USSR until its own crumbling back to a central Russian state without the many satellite nations it originally controlled. Once Azerbaijan and many of its neighbouring countries regained independence, newfound wealth status was regained through mostly petroleum resources. I spent a significant amount of time in Azerbaijan and thought I might need the cash again.

But here is the kicker on those 500, 1000 and 10 000 Azeri notes I found. After quickly running the numbers through an online currency converter, my results for each Azeri note in succession: 372.05 CDN, 744.11 CDN and 7441.06 CDN. That totals 8,557.22 CDN.

I almost fell off my desk chair. I'm thinking, I've got over 8-1/2 thousand dollars in my hands. I am like beside myself.

Last cup of coffee was 4 hours ago.

"I'm rich," I'm thinking; or, at least I can ease some financial issues.

Then, it dawns on me.

Before I rush out to a Currency Exchange, I should check something.

Mainly because I obtained these notes back in 2004.

Well, wouldn't ya know it, my heart fell when I learned Azerbaijan revalued their currency, the Manat, from one ISO standard to another ISO standard. In other words, what I have in my possession are AZM notes and they currently use AZN notes.

Plus, I thought to myself, I don't remember each note costing me that much back then, and being told "not to leave the country with them." But I did leave with them anyway. I mean; I thought I'd be back, just like many others in the company.

Turns out, I had left Azerbaijan back in late spring in 2004; and, starting the beginning of 2006 until the end of 2006, people could exchange their AZM for AZN bank notes for an exchange rate of 5000 to 1. This basically makes a lot of sense, because though the AZN Manat is created to look similar to a Euro, it now holds a value closer in line with the USD. And, when I originally took money from an ATM in central Baku, I recall the conversion of the time being approximately 1 USD for 5000 AZM from the ATM using my American Express for cash advances.

NOTE: If you've never been to Azerbaijan, I can recommend it. The capitol, Baku, is a place people should visit with its old world charm mixed with modernism.

Oh well! No financial windfall for me. Sucks to be me, I guess!

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