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Sherlockian “Thanks A Million” Fantasy Bank Notes

Sherlockian “Thanks A Million” Fantasy Bank Notes

“… those bundles on the table are two thousand of Prescott’s notes …”

– The Adventure of the Three Garridebs (3GAR)

TAMS - Sherlock (with BC)

For the past two years, there have been appearances of fantasy $1,000,000 bank notes (also referred to as bookmarks) for sale over the internet. These bills are a reproduction of a Series 2003A $1 Federal Reserve Note and have been modified changing the denominations, the portrait and replacing the left serial number with a phrase or expression. We have been able to identify five Sherlockian-themed notes that were sold by “Thanks a Million” or TAMS for short.

The first note is pictured at the top of this post and features a black and white picture of Benedict Cumberbatch and has the phrase Sherlock. This is the only note of the five to picture a real person, as the remaining notes feature the Statue of Liberty. Cumberbatch stars as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock.

TAMS - Elementary, My Dear Watson

The second note has the phrase Elementary, My Dear Watson.

TAMS - I Love Martin Freeman

The third note makes reference to Cumberbatch’s Sherlock costar, Martin Freeman, who plays John Watson. The phrase on this note reads as I love Martin Freeman.

TAMS - I Love Sherlock Holmes

Our fourth note has the phrase I love Sherlock Holmes.

TAMS - I'm A Cumberbitch

Our fifth and last note has the phrase I’m a Cumberbitch, a term used primarily by some female fans of Cumberbatch.

TAMS - Common back of noteThe back of all five banknote is a copy of a $1 Federal Reserve Note, having the denomination modified and inserting the Declaration of Independence signing vignette from the modern $2 Federal Reserve Notes.

These laminated notes are the exact same size as the other Federal Reserve Bank notes that you carry today in your wallet or purse. Since the United States has never issued a one million dollar note, they are not considered as counterfeits.

Over the last two years, the notes were available for a time on eBay. They then were offered on a Tumblr site for a while and then were for sale on Etsy, which is the last site I saw them for sale in April. All sites had over 100 different notes for sale, in addition to the five notes we have discussed here. The notes shown here were never priced higher than $4 for purchase, which included shipping. It will be interesting to see if these pop up again in the near future at another site.

Niue Issues 2 Coin Set Featuring Cumberbatch & Freeman

Niue Issues 2 Coin Set Featuring Cumberbatch & Freeman

“… so admirably done that it was a perfect facsimile.” – The Adventure of The Empty House (EMPT)       Reverse designs featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman from BBC’s Sherlock on the 2016 Niue $2 Coins The South Pacific island nation of Niue has just released a 2 coin set featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin… Continue Reading

The Hobbit Coins of Sherlock’s Freeman and Cumberbatch

The Hobbit Coins of Sherlock’s Freeman and Cumberbatch

Readers of this journal and Sherlockians probably think of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson when they hear the names of Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. The lead and supporting actors of BBC’s Sherlock actually flip roles in the series of Hobbit films, with Freeman taking the lead and Cumberbatch in a supporting role. Based on the increased… Continue Reading