CurioShelf Guide

Choosing Collectible Art Bills, Novelty Money, Phone Cards, and Copper Rounds

A shopper-focused guide to four coins paper money collectibles, comparing listed prices, formats, themes, and the best fit for pop-art, novelty, expo, or colorized-round collectors.

Last updated Jul 16

Collecting coins paper money can mean very different things depending on what you want on display: a genuine-denomination art bill, a stack of novelty notes, a commemorative phone card tied to a coin expo, or a colorized copper round. The right choice is less about picking a universal "best" and more about matching the format, theme, and listed price to the role you want the collectible to play.

Quick take

  • Best for pop-art currency collectors: JAWS Great White Killer Shark $2 U.S. Bill Pop Art HAND-SIGNED by Artist Rency combines a genuine $2 U.S. bill format with graffiti pop-art styling and a hand-signed artist edition.
  • Best for multiples or themed novelty collecting: 25 Pack Betty Boop Dollar Bill Cartoon Art $1 Million Collectible Novelty Money gives you a 25-count set centered on Betty Boop cartoon art.
  • Best for Chicago expo or phone-card collectors: 5. Chicago Paper Money Expo 1997. Lion Sculpture At Art Institute Phone Card is tied to the 1997 Chicago Coin Fair and the Art Institute lion sculpture.
  • Best for a colorful coin-style display piece: 1 oz Colorized Round Copper Pearl in Shell Beach Sunset Art Collectible Coin leans into beach-sunset artwork on a copper round format.

The listed price range runs from USD 11.94 to USD 29.00, with the lowest listed item sitting 59% below the highest. That spread matters because these items are not all the same kind of collectible: the comparison includes banknote art, novelty money, a phone card, and a colorized round.

Listed price comparison

ProductListed pricePrice bar
JAWS Great White Killer Shark $2 U.S. Bill Pop Art HAND-SIGNED by Artist RencyUSD 29.00
25 Pack Betty Boop Dollar Bill Cartoon Art $1 Million Collectible Novelty MoneyUSD 11.98
5. Chicago Paper Money Expo 1997. Lion Sculpture At Art Institute Phone CardUSD 11.94
1 oz Colorized Round Copper Pearl in Shell Beach Sunset Art Collectible CoinUSD 14.99

Decision matrix

If you want...Start with...Why it fits
A genuine U.S. bill format with pop-art presentationJAWS Great White Killer Shark $2 U.S. Bill Pop Art HAND-SIGNED by Artist RencyIt is described as fine art giclee on a genuine $2 U.S. bill, with 2023 year and uncirculated status.
A larger quantity of themed novelty notes25 Pack Betty Boop Dollar Bill Cartoon Art $1 Million Collectible Novelty MoneyThe title gives a 25-pack count, and the description states it is novelty money, not legal tender.
A Chicago and coin-fair themed collectible5. Chicago Paper Money Expo 1997. Lion Sculpture At Art Institute Phone CardIt connects the 1997 Chicago Coin Fair with the Art Institute lion sculpture and a commemorative coin theme.
A coin-like art object with a nature scene1 oz Colorized Round Copper Pearl in Shell Beach Sunset Art Collectible CoinThe title and description center on a colorized round with a pearl, shell, beach, and sunset design.

Concise product notes

JAWS Great White Killer Shark $2 U.S. Bill Pop Art HAND-SIGNED by Artist Rency

This is the most direct pick for someone who wants a collectible that still centers on a banknote format. The title names a $2 U.S. Bill, and the details describe fine art giclee on a genuine $2 bill with a Jaws-inspired great white shark theme, blazing graffiti-pop colors, and a hand-signed artist presentation by Rency. It is also marked uncirculated and dated 2023. The tradeoff is that it is the highest-priced item in this group, so it makes the most sense if the hand-signed pop-art currency angle is the main reason you are buying.

25 Pack Betty Boop Dollar Bill Cartoon Art $1 Million Collectible Novelty Money

The Betty Boop pack is the clear quantity play: the title states 25 Pack, making it more suitable for someone who wants multiples of the same cartoon-art novelty note rather than a single display object. It also has a specific pop-culture theme, a $1 Million denomination, and a commemorative-issue type. The key limitation is built into the description: it is novelty money and not legal tender for debts, public or private. It is also marked ungraded and uncertified, so the appeal is the Betty Boop design and pack format rather than formal grading.

5. Chicago Paper Money Expo 1997. Lion Sculpture At Art Institute Phone Card

This phone card is the most location-and-event-specific collectible in the set. It celebrates the 1997 Chicago Coin Fair and features the Art Institute lion sculpture, making it a focused fit for collectors drawn to Chicago, coin-expo memorabilia, or pre-2000 phone-card pieces. The attributes list an excellent card condition, catalog number USA-113, and USACard Corporation as the phone or marketing company. The limitation is that it is not a banknote or coin; the description also says these cards are no longer usable for long distance calling, so its role is collectible display rather than calling function.

1 oz Colorized Round Copper Pearl in Shell Beach Sunset Art Collectible Coin

The colorized copper round is the best match for a shopper who wants coin-style presentation with scenic artwork. The title gives a 1 oz round format, and the design theme is specific: a pearl in an oyster shell against a beach sunset. The description emphasizes a full-color design with ocean, shell, and sunset imagery, while the attributes mark it uncirculated and uncertified. Its limitation is category fit: it is a collectible round rather than a conventional denomination coin or banknote, so it suits art-display collecting more than denomination-based paper-money collecting.

Final recommendation

If you want the most distinctive banknote-art piece and are comfortable with the top listed price, choose JAWS Great White Killer Shark $2 U.S. Bill Pop Art HAND-SIGNED by Artist Rency at USD 29.00. Its strongest concrete advantage is the combination of a genuine $2 U.S. bill format, 2023 year, uncirculated status, and hand-signed Rency pop-art presentation.

If you want the lowest listed price and a commemorative object tied to a specific event, choose 5. Chicago Paper Money Expo 1997. Lion Sculpture At Art Institute Phone Card at USD 11.94. It is the narrowest thematic fit, but that can be a strength if Chicago Coin Fair or Art Institute imagery is the draw.

If you want the most pieces for a novelty-money theme, the 25 Pack Betty Boop Dollar Bill Cartoon Art $1 Million Collectible Novelty Money at USD 11.98 is the practical choice because the title gives you a 25-count pack and a clear Betty Boop cartoon-art identity.

If your priority is a colorful round rather than paper format, pick the 1 oz Colorized Round Copper Pearl in Shell Beach Sunset Art Collectible Coin at USD 14.99. It sits between the lowest and highest listed prices while offering a beach-sunset, shell, and pearl motif in a coin-style collectible format.

For most shoppers comparing across all four, the simplest decision is format first: choose the JAWS bill for hand-signed pop-art currency, the Betty Boop pack for novelty-note quantity, the Chicago Expo card for event memorabilia, and the copper round for scenic colorized coin-style display.

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