Hi, my name is Tom Chao. My hobby is collecting paper money from different countries of the world.

I have been collecting paper money since 1991. I started my collection with a mail order package of 50 different uncirculated world banknotes I bought for $9.95. I thought it was an inexpensive hobby. I should have known better. My earlier purchases were notes selling for under a dollar each. Gradually, however, I began to add more expensive notes. Eventually as I become a more advanced collector, I got rid of most of those "penny" banknotes. I bought my notes mostly online from dealers and auction houses.

This paper money website was first created on August 6, 1997. Over the years, it has been continuously updated and expanded. Many visitors left nice comments and encouragements in my guestbook. They inspire me to further advance my collection and improve this website.

On December 6, 2006, this website was selected SITE OF THE DAY by refdesk.com which led to a sudden surge of visitors for several weeks immediately afterward.

I was interviewed for an article about paper money collecting which appeared on the ephemera blog, August 1, 2007, Talking Turkey with Paper Money Collector Tom Chao.

My new blog, Some Interesting Facts About Paper Money, offers timely articles and commentaries on paper money related topics.