Crumpled $20 Bill Story? The 189 Top Answers

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President Biden’s White House basked in praise from allies in its early days when it vowed to seek ways to “speed up” the process to put abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the front of the $20 bill and to replace President Andrew Jackson, who owned enslaved people and forcibly resettled Indians.

But four months after taking office, there is little sign that the government has taken any steps to speed up the timetable laid out years ago by a small agency within Treasury.

Despite mounting national pressure to recognize the contributions of women and people of color — and Biden’s personal pledge to do so — Tubman still won’t appear on the $20 until the end of Biden’s first term, or even a hypothetical second term. If the current timeline holds, it will have taken a full 16 years to bring to fruition the proposal of a 9-year-old girl whose 2014 letter to then-President Barack Obama publicly launched the process.

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This is embarrassing for some.

“If we can get a helicopter to Mars, we should be able to design a $20 bill in less than 20 years,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said in an interview. “It’s about commitment.”

According to activists who have been working for years to change America’s fiat money to reflect its current values, the Tubman battle has become a case study in the difficulty of crafting the bureaucratic apparatus of government.

The delay is notable in part because Biden leaned on a coalition of women and black voters to win the White House and vowed to mobilize every element of government to advance gender and racial equality. Despite repeated attempts to diversify the currency, there has never been a black person on US currency, nor has there been a woman on any bill in modern times.

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Biden has made other efforts to update the nation’s images. He recently became the first President to visit Tulsa to commemorate a race massacre there. He ordered that the Oval Office be rid of a portrait of Jackson, who oversaw the Indian Removal Act that led to the “Trail of Tears.” President Donald Trump had installed the portrait of the seventh president, admired by some traditionalists for his populism and frontier image.

But removing the portrait has proved much easier than hastening the actions of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, a unit of the Treasury Department, which critics say shows little interest in reshaping the currency.

“They’re really happy to push this as far as possible, maybe until cryptocurrency takes over,” said Barbara Ortiz Howard, founder of Women on 20s, an advocacy group. “They don’t want to make the change, which I think is the only explanation for all this nonsense.”

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Treasury Department officials say changing the portrait on the $20 dollar bill isn’t as easy as it sounds, largely because of the need for sophisticated anti-counterfeiting features.

“We are committed to reshaping U.S. currency to better reflect our country’s history and diversity,” Len Olijar, director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, said in a statement. “But the security of our currency remains paramount.”

Tubman is a unique figure in American history who escaped from slavery to become a well-known Underground Railroad “conductor” who led enslaved people to freedom. She worked as a spy for the Union Army during the Civil War and, after victory, threw herself into helping formerly enslaved people.

The honor of appearing on a country’s currency is inherently limited to a small group of national heroes. It anchors a person as a symbol of a country’s values, not through a distant monument, but as a familiar symbol used in everyday life.

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America’s paper money features a series of white male leaders: George Washington at the $1, Thomas Jefferson at the $2, Abraham Lincoln at the $5, Alexander Hamilton at the $10, Jackson at the $20, Ulysses S. Grant at the $50 and Benjamin Franklin on the $100. (In earlier eras, some were obscure; Grover Cleveland’s likeness graced the now-defunct $1,000.)

The Treasury Department announced in 2016 that Tubman would replace Jackson, and since then lawmakers and activists have been pushing for that to actually happen. Shaheen said she spoke privately with Biden’s aides during the transition, adding, “I think they mean business. The question is: How do we accelerate it with all the challenges?”

In the House of Representatives, Reps. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) and John Katko (R-N.Y.) are drafting a letter to the Biden administration asking for an updated timeline for Tubman’s move, according to a congressional aide who is familiar with the Efforts spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private plans.

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Beatty, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, introduced legislation in January that requires every $20 bill printed after 2024 to include a portrait of Tubman.

Olijar said the timeline for new currencies is recommended by a group called the Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence Committee, which advises the finance minister on anti-counterfeiting issues. Under this schedule, both the $10 and $50 bills are scheduled to be issued before the $20 bills.

“The main reason for currency redesign is to protect against current and potential counterfeiting threats,” Olijar said. “The timeline for the redesign will be determined by the development of security features.”

Two senior Treasury Department officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, declined to say whether Secretary Janet Yellen would consider changing the order to allow $20 production to begin before April 10 -dollar dollars could be produced, or whether Tubman could instead be moved to the $10 dollars, as some boosters have suggested. (Hamilton might be hard to push away from the $10 given his popularity after the great Broadway musical about his life.)

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Changing money in America has long been an icy process. A Treasury Department official said the blue thread that appears in the recently released $100 bill took the government a decade to develop.

Obama Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, who publicly announced in 2016 that Tubman would hit $20, said in an interview that he regularly urged the Bureau of Engraving to speed up its schedule.

“The bureaucracy thought I was pressuring them too much. I think it’s okay to push,” Lew said. “But you’re not pushing by saying, ‘I don’t care about safety.’ You’re pushing by being respectful, asking questions, and having a respectful back-and-forth.”

Lew said the process is “devastatingly slow” but some of the technical challenges are “real” and cannot be rushed. “My approach was a push but not a break,” Lew said. “I wouldn’t advocate pushing and breaking.”

Although some Democrats have criticized the Trump administration for allegedly delaying the move, several government officials from both parties said that was not the case and that the delay was more to do with bureaucratic obstacles.

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“The Trump administration has adhered to the Obama administration’s timeline while working to develop a new note as quickly as possible,” said Monica Crowley, who served as spokesperson for Trump Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. “Given the complexity of the process, it’s no wonder the Biden administration has also decided not to expedite the release of the bill, if it does release it at all.”

Meanwhile, Bureau officials successfully pushed for a new building, telling Congress they need the new $1.4 billion facility “to support the next generation of currencies that will be launched over the next decade.” should be”. It is slated to be built in Beltsville, Md., about 100 miles from Tubman’s childhood home, which was recently discovered on the state’s East Coast.

To make matters worse, efforts to change Jackson’s portrait are echoed in a 2008 court order requiring any new currency to contain some type of tactile mark, similar to braille, so that the blind or partially sighted can distinguish between different denominations.

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The American Council of the Blind sued the Treasury Department in 2002 to force the agency to add such features, and a federal judge eventually ordered the next national currency security overhaul to include some sort of tactile element.

Like the proponents of the Tubman portrait, the blind advocates are still waiting.

“Unless President Biden or someone in the White House actively participates in this issue to negotiate a resolution or hold people accountable, it’s not going to end,” said Eric Bridges, executive director of the American Council of the Blind, who was involved in the lawsuit for years.

Bridges added, “The combination of Harriet Tubman adorning this first piece of accessible currency would make a powerful statement.”

Among those objecting to the tactile features are banks, who say it would cost billions to make changes, including upgrading ATMs, and argue the process of stacking currencies would become more problematic. Still, countries like Canada and Australia have features on their currency that allow blind people to tell one denomination from another.

Some Tubman supporters have joined with activists pushing for the tactile features. Both groups say all of these issues could be addressed much more quickly if the government would throw its weight behind the changes.

And researchers say the Tubman change was slowed down by all the other things, including the security overhaul.

“It doesn’t cost much to change the portraits — it’s just everything else they’re trying to do at the same time,” said Ruth Anne Robbins, a law professor at Rutgers who co-wrote a paper on changing currency. “People have been asking for about a century now, please put some women on the money.”

Her research shows how much easier it was to put Jackson on the currency than to dissuade him.

When modern currency was first designed almost a century ago, then-Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon received a typed memo from his staff suggesting that individuals should be honored on the new notes, a copy of which was Robbins’ and her Colleagues at the National Archives unearthed Genevieve Tung.

The October 1927 memo listed former President Grover Cleveland as a proposed face for the $20 and Jackson for the $1,000. Mellon crossed off their names and, with his pencil, ordered their positions reversed.

Pondering why the process to install Tubman is so much more involved in comparison, Robbins suggested, “There’s no one really charged with making this happen.”

Jeff Stein contributed to this report.

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US currency greater than $100

By 1969, large denominations of US currency in excess of US$100 were circulated by the US Treasury. Since then, US dollar banknotes have only been issued in seven denominations: US$1, US$2, US$5, US$10, US$20, US$50 and US$100.

Overview and history[ edit ]

Since the late 18th century, large-denomination currencies (i.e., banknotes with a denomination of $500 or more)[1] have been in use in the United States. The first $500 bill was issued by North Carolina, authorized by an Act of May 10, 1780.[3] Virginia quickly followed, authorizing the printing of $500 and $1,000 bills on October 16, 1780[4] and $2,000 bills on May 7, 1781.[5] For example, high-denomination Treasury bills were issued during the War of 1812 ($1,000 bills authorized by an Act of June 30, 1812).[6] During the American Civil War, Confederate currency included $500 and $1,000 bills. Among the earliest federal notes (1861) were large denomination notes such as the $500, $1,000, and $5,000 three-year interest-bearing notes approved by Congress on July 17, 1861. A total of 11 different types of US currency were issued in high-denomination bills on nearly 20 different series dates. US banknote obverse designs generally feature either historical figures, allegorical figures symbolizing important concepts (e.g., liberty, justice), or a combination of both. Back designs range from abstract scrolls with elaborate denominations to reproductions of historical artwork.

Public versus institutional use[edit]

Series 1934 Gold Certificates ($100; $1,000; $10,000 and $100,000) were issued after the gold standard was lifted and gold was forcibly confiscated by order of President Franklin Roosevelt on March 9, 1933 (see United States Executive Order 6102). Therefore, the 1934 series notes were used only for intergovernmental transactions (i.e., the Federal Reserve Bank) and were not issued to the public.[9] This series was discontinued in 1940. The reverse of the 1928 Series Gold Certificate was printed in black and green (see History of the US Dollar).

Passive retirement[edit]

Although still legal tender in the United States, high-denomination bills were last printed on December 27, 1945, and officially retired by the Federal Reserve System [10] on July 14, 1969 for “unusage”. [11] The $5,000 and $10,000 bills were long gone.[nb 1]

The Federal Reserve began phasing out high-denomination currencies and shredding large bills received from banks in 1969.[11] As of May 30, 2009, only 336 $10,000 bills were known to exist, along with 342 remaining $5,000 bills and 165,372 remaining $1,000 bills. Because of their rarity, collectors pay significantly more than the face value of the notes to acquire them, and some are in museums in other parts of the world.

These bills were largely used by banks and the federal government for large financial transactions, particularly gold certificates from 1865 to 1934. However, the advent of electronic money systems has largely rendered large cash transactions obsolete. and coupled with concerns about counterfeiting and the use of cash for illicit activities (like drug trafficking and money laundering), the US government is unlikely to be reissuing a large-denomination currency any time soon. The US Treasury Department website states: “The current denominations of our currency in production are $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 these denominations meet this goal. Neither the Treasury Department nor the Federal Reserve System have any plans to change the denominations used today.”[13]

Issue dates for high-denomination banknotes[ edit ]

Banknote table [ edit ]

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Numismatic Collection includes (amongst others) proofs certified by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) and the US Treasury Department’s collection. Using a combination of proofs and issued notes, a nearly complete set of high-denomination currencies was assembled. In particular, several types of compound and interest-bearing debt securities are missing. Printed on very thin paper in the early to mid-1860s, these high-denomination notes are virtually non-existent. Their issuance (1861–65) predates the BEP’s responsibility for US currency (1870s), so luckily there is evidence in the current archives.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

quotes[edit]

General bibliography[ edit ]

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Misprinted money

Misprinted money, also known as error currency, can usually be sold quite well at auctions. The misprints that make the most money will have serious errors, or they will be on currency that was already scarce. Most error collectors expect banknotes to be in perfect condition. A common flaw on a note in perfect condition will typically sell for around $300 at auction. Unusual and infrequent errors can cost thousands of dollars. Please contact us to find out what price you would like your misprint to sell for in our next error currency auction.

Most 1993 twenty dollar bills are not very valuable. However, star notes can be sold for more money. Read on to learn more about these bills.

specifications

Denomination: $20.00 Type: Federal Reserve Note Signature Combinations: One: Withrow and Bentsen Series: One: 1993

value

The standard bills in circulation are not worth more than their $20 face value. They are only sold in uncirculated condition at an additional cost. Star Notes can be sold at higher prices.

The 1993 Series $20 bills are valued at approximately $37.50 uncirculated with a grade of MS 63.

star notes

Star notes are replacement notes printed by the US Federal Reserve. These star notes are rarer and therefore more valuable. You can tell if you have an asterisk by looking for an asterisk at the end of the serial number.

The 1993 series $20 star bills are worth around $40-$47.50 in extremely good condition. In uncirculated condition, the price is around $57.50-$60 for notes with an MS 63 grade.

Rating System

Extremely Fine – A note that shows small signs of having been in circulation. The note becomes light and has almost all of its original crispness. There may be one or two small creases or folds, but there are no stains, discoloration, or tears.

MS 63 Wahl Uncirculated – A note that shows no sign of ever having been in circulation. The note still has its original crispness. The note is also well centered.

Sources:

A Guide to United States Paper Money

See also:

1995 $20 bill 1990 $20 bill 1988 $20 bill

Check your wallet. The $20 bill is one of the most widely used bills in Americans. But where did they originate? How have they changed over the years? Which are valuable? Below I have listed the top 10 most valuable $20 bills.

10 Most Valuable & Rarest $20 Bills

No Name Year Note Value 1 Fr. 11a $20 1861 Demand Note 1861 PMG Choice Fine 15 $411,000 2 Fr. 1175 $20 1882 Gold Certificate 1882 PMG Choice Fine 15 $396,000 3 Fr. 2084-H $20 1996 Federal Reserve Note 1996 PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ $396,000 4 Fr. 1166b $20 Gold Certificate of 1863 1863 PCGS VF 30 $352,000 5 Fr. 1179 $20 1905 Gold Certificate Gem New 1905 Unknown $241,000 6 $20 1875 Fr. 1157 The First National Gold Bank of Petaluma 1875 PMG Choice Extremely Fine 45 $204,000 7 Fr. 306b $20 1878 Silver Certificate Extremely Fine 1878 Pr $175,000 8 Fr. 822a $20 1915 Federal Reserve Bank Note 1915 PMG Extremely Fine 40 $161,000 9 Fr Fr. 952b $20 1914 Red Seal Federal Reserve Note 1914 PMG Extremely Fine 40 $138,000

1. Fr. 11a $20 1861 Demand Note $411,000

Year: 1986

Value: $411,000

Fineness: PMG Choice Fine 15

In order! Here we start with the most valuable, the crème de la crème of the batch… drum roll… the Fr. 11a $20 1861 demand Note! Unique for including the words “for” after the Treasury officials’ signatures, this note is the only existing Fr. 11a $20 1861 Demand note with this detail, which skyrockets its value.

1861 $20 bills as a whole are worth quite a bit compared to other years such as the 1860 or 1865 $20 bills, largely due to the outbreak of the Civil War that same year with the consequent printing of Confederate notes . Even the Union government issued the first issue of paper money since the Continentals, greatly increasing the number of $20 bills issued in 1861. According to eBay, 1861 $20 bills can range from under $100 to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on their condition.

1861 $20 bills typically depict the goddess of liberty with a shield and sword on the front and a green abstract image on the back of the bill.

3. Fr. 1175 $20 1882 Gold Certificate $396,000

Year: 1882

Value: $396,000

Fineness: PMG Choice Fine 15

Originally known only as an illustration in the Krause-Lemke reference, this example of the Fr. 1175 $20 1882 Gold Certificate only appeared in auctions after the early 2010s. Unlike most 1882 gold certificates, this $20 bill was not only printed with Bruce-Gilfillan’s signature, but was also countersigned by New York Treasurer Thomas C. Acton. Only 14,000 such notes were issued before the plates were changed from a countersignature to an engraved signature of Acton.

Since the first issue of a particular currency series is the lowest denomination, and this $20 bill is serial number one, this bill was probably the first of the 1882 Gold Certificates ever issued. Unique, isn’t it? In addition, only one other example of the Fr. 1175 $20 1882 gold certificate that has not yet appeared in auction remains in existence, making this the only example in auction.

Unlike $20 bills issued in 1861, 1882 $20 bills are few because in 1882 only one $20 bill was issued by the National Bank for every 3 ten dollar bills. Depending on rarity and state of preservation, 1882 $20 bills can range from hundreds of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars, the latter exemplified by the Fr. Introduced 1175 $20 gold bill of 1882 with certificate above. 1882 $20 bills typically feature Andrew Garfield on the front and a soaring bald eagle on the back of the bill.

3. Fri. 2084-H $20 1996 Federal Reserve Note $396,000

Year: 1996

Value: $396,000

Grade: PMG Choice uncirculated G4 EPQ

Sold just over a year ago on January 22, 2021 and printed in 1996, extremely late compared to the Fr. 11a $20 1861 Demand Note and the Fr. 1175 $20 1882 Gold Certificate, this Fr. 2084-H$20 1996 Federal Reserve Note with blocked literal with retained blocking is, bluntly, modern. How could such a recent bill be worth $396,000? Why, it’s almost as new as the $20 bills sitting in our wallets right now.

The answer is simple: this specimen has an obstacle called “Del Monte Note” in which a banana sticker has been printed over the words “Del Monte Ecuador”. The sticker was a third edition printed at the Fort Worth Currency Facility, making this specimen a treasure. It’s possible that the creation of this specimen was no coincidence, but simply the result of boredom on the part of a BEP employee.

Somehow through the Federal Reserve, this specimen was circulated and purchased from an ATM in 2004 by a college student in Ohio. Originally sold by the student on eBay for $10,000, this specimen sold to Heritage Auctions for $25,000 in 2006 and eventually sold for a whopping $360,000 early last year.

Approximately 6 billion $20 bills were printed in 1996, significantly more than in 1861 or 1882. Unlike $20 bills issued in the 1800s, 1996 $20 bills typically fetch no more than $50 , with most being worth between $20 and $50$. The Fr. 2084-H $20 1996 Federal Reserve Note described above is a rare, valuable exception. These 1996 bills typically feature Andrew Jackson on the front and a picture of the White House on the back of the bill.

4. Fr. 1166b $20 1863 Gold Certificate $352,000

Year: 1863

Value: $352,000

Condition: PCGS very fine 30

Dating back to the 1800s, this Fr. 1166b $20 1863 Gold Certificate was issued with the intention of preserving during the tumultuous era of the Civil War, when paper money was associated with Confederate or Union victories and defeats, depending on which party carried the notes , rose and fell, bringing stability to fiat currency and interbank trading belonged to. Since Fr. 1166b $20 1863 Gold Certificates (of the Union) were “backed by gold deposited with the Treasury” they were more stable and less likely to be worthless than other paper money in these troubled times. 48,000 Fr. 1166b $20 1863 gold certificates were issued for this purpose.

This copy is one of four notes bearing the engraved signature of Assistant Treasurer, H.H. VanDyck, carry at the end of the note. To make this note even rarer, two of these four notes have been canceled and will remain with the Bureau of Public Debt and the Smithsonian forever. First offered by currency trader Dean Oakes in the 1980s, before many of us were born, the note was last offered to collectors in 1990 and has only been sold privately once since.

Unlike the 1861 $20 bills, the 1863 $20 bills featured a beautiful vignette of an eagle on the front and several abstract designs and an image of a gold $20 coin on the back of the bill. Compared to other $20 bills from 1800, $20 bills from 1863 are much rarer with smaller mintage, ranging from one thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

5. Fr. 1179 $20 1905 Gold Certificate Gem New $241,000

Year: 1905

Value: $241,000

Degree: unknown

Nicknamed Technicolor, this Fr. 1179 $20 1905 Gold Certificate Gem New Bill features particularly vibrant, brilliant colors that are incredibly pleasing to the eye. According to Heritage Auctions, this note may be the most aesthetically pleasing note ever issued by the United States government. The number 20 is printed in gold above the portrait, with the words “In Gold Coin” below it.

Personally, this $20 bill is my favorite, gorgeous with a rich fall brown reverse and intricate floral designs entwining the number 20 and bald eagle logo. This example, which came from the March 1945 sale of the Grinnell Connection, then came into the possession of a collector named Bill Donlon and then to the Heritage Auction on May 18, 2001, finally selling on February 19, 2005, 17, for $241,000 was sold years ago.

$20 bills printed in 1905 were the last $20 bills to be printed with background color, making $20 bills from that year particularly valuable compared to bills from later years. According to Silver Recyclers, 1905 $20 bills are typically worth $1,200 in good condition, $4,000 in good condition, and $10,000 in very good condition. Invoices with the right mix of condition, serial number, and rarity can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars.

6. $20 1875 Fr. 1157 Petaluma’s First National Gold Bank $204,000

Year: 1875

Value: $204,000

Grade: PMG Choice Extremely Fine 45

The $20 1875 Fr is often considered the finest national $20 gold bill in existence. 1157 The First National Gold Bank of Petaluma note from the Mike Coltrane Collection is in perfect condition and has a royal pedigree dating back to 1953. This example is one of only two $20 National Gold notes from the 1875 series.

Unlike most designs, this one is printed on gold colored paper rather than the usual blank paper and features a jet black engraved print. A great illustration of the Battle of Lexington from the American Revolution is featured on the front. The back of the note features incredibly realistic coins stacked on top of each other.

1875 $20 bills with a larger mintage than those of other years, as shown above, are not as rare, but may even be more valuable for their aesthetic appeal. For example, the average 1875 $20 bill fetches anywhere from $300 to $12,000, with some outliers worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

7. Fr. 306b $20 1878 Silver Certificate Extremely Fine $175,000

Year: 1878

Value: $175,000

Note: Pr

So far we’ve heard of Gold Certificates and Demand Notes and Federal Reserve Notes, but what about Silver Certificates? The Fr. 306b $20 1878 Silver Certificate Extremely Fine is believed to be the very first silver certificate ever created. With only two examples bearing the elusive Friedberg number, this example boasts Serial Number 1 status and is one of the few rare notes with the third autograph signature of the Treasurer of the United States, A. U. Wyman, of 1876 served from 1877 to 2019 and from 1883 to 1885.

The good margin note maintains a strong coloration with blue anti-counterfeiting stain and the USUSUS watermark. Selling for $175,000 a decade and a half ago on May 7, 2005, this note was previously auctioned for $132,000 during the bottom of the paper note market, an achievement in itself. If this example were to be auctioned again today, it would undoubtedly achieve unprecedented values.

Unlike earlier $20 bills, 1878 $20 bills are silver certificates depicting James Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, on the front and a bald eagle on the reverse of the bill. 1878 $20 bills are typically in denominations ranging from $300 to $10,000 with again well-preserved stamps for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

8. Fr. 882a $20 1915 Federal Reserve Bank Note $161,000

Year: 1915

Value: $161,000

Grade: PMG Excellent 40

This example is the “secret” second example of the Fr. 882a $20 1915 Federal Reserve Bank Note, which was not even whispered of its existence until the Thompson Collection was sold by Stack’s Bowers in 1997. Originally from the William A. Philpott Collection, this note then came into the possession of a West Virginian collector, Jim Thompson, until it was purchased by Heritage Auctions and sold on April 18, 2008.

This particular note was incredibly valuable to collectors trying to assemble a complete collection of the Federal Reserve banknote series, which was impossible until this last note hit the market. Now this note is part of the Thomas M. Flynn Collection.

Unlike earlier $20 bills, 1915 $20 bills are considered part of the Federal Reserve Bank Notes. 1915 $20 bills typically range in value from $500 to $12,500, with rare exceptions in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

9. Fr. 375a $20 1891 Treasury bill $155,000

Year: 1891

Value: $155,000

Grade: Good

Of the Fr. 375a $20 1891 Treasury Note there are only two copies, one of which will remain in the Smithsonian Institute forever. This banknote, which has been in circulation for many decades, has a small ink spot on the bottom but is still in relatively good condition. Originally part of the Harley Freeman and Amon Carter collection, this note was then traded by B. Max Mehl in 1953 and then numerous small dealers until it was sold on September 15, 2006.

The 1890 $20 bills feature the legendary 4th Chief Justice John Marshall on the front and one of two abstract motifs on the reverse. Depending on the bank that issued the bill, 1890 $20 bills typically range in value from $500 to $40,000, noting the hundreds of thousands dollar outlier, of course.

10. Fr. 952b $20 1914 Red Seal Federal Note $138,000

Year: 1914

Value: $138,000

Grade: PMG Excellent 40

The Fr. 952b $20 1914 Red Seal Federal Reserve Note is extremely rare as only three such notes have been discovered to date. This example boasts a beautiful, calm, light green background with an illustration by Grover Cleaveland on the front and two illustrations – one of a train and one of a ship on the reverse. This note is both beautiful and meaningful and extremely valuable.

1914 $20 bills are worth $165 in good condition and about $300 in very good condition. Runaways in extremely good condition sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Like the 1915 $20 bills, the 1914 $20 bills are also part of the Federal Reserve Bank Notes.

How can you tell if a $20 bill is real?

Now that we’ve talked about those prized $20 bills, the real question is…..how on earth do you know if your prized $20 bill is real? The answer is simple: look at the watermark. If you hold the note up to the light, the image of Andrew Jackson should appear on the right side of the center portrait. Easy right?

Wrap up

OK! Please leave any questions, comments, and concerns below and we will do our best to respond quickly. Visit our other articles on currencies and have a good day!

1976 $2 bill value

The United States two dollar bill is a popular currency that is still in circulation. It is considered the rarest small denomination currency in the United States, which is why most people believe it is a collector’s item. But how much is a 1976 $2 bill worth? Read on to find out.

A Brief History of the $2 Bill

The United States two dollar bill is legal tender, first issued in March 1862. The 1862 bill featured a profile view of Alexander Hamilton on one side (different in appearance from the portrait on the current $10 bill). . it was marked as a “United States Note”.

The two-dollar bill was redesigned in 1869 to feature the well-known portrait of Thomas Jefferson with an image of the United States Capitol on the other side. This note also had a green tint on the top and left side of the note. This is the first two dollar bill to feature the words “Treasury Note.”

The next revision came in 1874 when a red floral design was added around the words Washington D.C. was added around. The words “Treasury Note” have also been changed back to “United States Note”. This design was also issued in 1875 and 1878.

In 1880 the design was changed again, removing the red flower symbol and changing the serial numbers to blue. The next major change was the Educational Series issues in 1896. This series contained allegorical homages to science and portraits of visionaries, including Robert Fulton and Samuel F. B. Morse.

These beautiful notes are very popular. In 1899 this design was changed to show allegorical homages to agriculture and mechanics along with a portrait of George Washington. These early “USA” issued two dollar bills are very valuable.

The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 authorized the issuance of Federal Reserve Notes, including two-dollar bills. Subsequent two-dollar bills would have the words “Federal Reserve Bank” on them.

The first Federal Reserve two-dollar bills were produced in 1918. They were larger than regular two-dollar bills, making them easily distinguishable from early United States bills. These notes showed a portrait of Thomas Jefferson on one side and a picture of a World War I battleship on the other.

In 1928, US currency sizes were standardized at 156 × 66 mm (6.14 × 2.61 in). At this point, the two-dollar bill was issued only once as a “United States” bill. This note had a cropped version of Thomas Jefferson’s portrait from previous notes. On the opposite page was a picture of Jefferson’s house (called “Monticello”) and red serial numbers.

The next major design change came in 1953 when the note looked more like the five dollar bill. The changes included the resizing of the Treasury seal and the postponement of the US Debt. The last change to this series was in 1963 when the motto In God We Trust was added. All United States $2, $5, and $100 bills were discontinued in 1966, although they remained legal tender.

In the 1950s, production of two-dollar bills began to decline. As they became scarce, collectors began hoarding any two-dollar bills they saw, making them even rarer.

The two-dollar bill was reintroduced in 1976 as part of government austerity measures. They were redesigned and issued as a “Federal Reserve Note”. A Federal Reserve Note is issued by the Federal Reserve, the country’s central bank. This is largely a privately owned and operated bank. This differs from previous banknotes created by the Treasury.

In terms of appearance, the main difference is that the words above Thomas Jefferson’s portrait mean either United States Note (pre-1966) or Federal Reserve Note (post-1966). The US bill also has a red seal on the face when it is above the word “two”. The US notes are being phased out and are quite rare, making them more valuable. The Federal Reserve two-dollar bill is still available today.

When the 1976 two dollar bill was introduced, thousands of collectors rushed to acquire it. In many cases, first day issues of the bill were taken to local post offices by collectors to have them stamped with the issue date “APR 13 1976”, giving them additional authenticity. These stamped 1976 two-dollar bills are worth more than unstamped bills.

The 1976 design of the two-dollar bill featured the same Thomas Jefferson image that has appeared on all two-dollar bills since 1928. It has a green serial number and treasury seal, which differs from previous notes that used red ink. A rendering of John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence replaced Monticello on the facing page of the bill.

How rare is the two dollar bill?

Beginning in the 1950s, two-dollar bills had small circulations. This has resulted in the two dollar bill being the rarest current denomination in the United States. Currently, about 1% of all bills in circulation are a two dollar bill. The rarity of the bill is why so many people believe it is very valuable.

In recent years, the two dollar bill has been printed in greater numbers. In 2005, 61 million two-dollar bills were produced, double the production between 1990 and 2001. Interestingly, strip clubs and poker rooms are believed to have fueled the bill’s increase in popularity. The owners of this type of establishment prefer to give change in two-dollar bills, as this results in larger tips.

What is the estimated value of the 1976 $2 bill?

In most cases, a mint 1976 $2 bill is worth a little more than face value ($2 to $3). However, it could be worth two or three times the face value ($4 to $6) if it has an interesting postmark on it. Two dollar bills made between 1953 and 1963 are typically worth around $4 to $6. Two dollar bills made between 1928 and the 1950s can range in value from $10 to $30. Older bills can be worth a lot more.

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The claim: The back of the $20 bill depicts a hanging black man and a crowd looking on

As Americans assess the racist undertones of some long-standing statues and memorials, a viral meme misinterprets an image on the back of the $20 bill as a lynching.

“I was years old today when I found out there’s a brother hanging on the back of the $20 bill while a whole crowd looks on!” Mayakahla Ben-Ahparayam posted on Facebook on June 18.

“It’s really a black man hanging… and white people are just looking…” reads a meme that includes two blurry images of the White House vignette on the $20 bill.

Commenters quickly checked the meme’s facts and identified the body it mentioned as a lamp. Some Facebook users saw the body and recognized the image as a symbolic illusion.

“The illusion is a lantern, but you look closely and focus on a Negro with a long sleeve and suspenders half chest up,” Keiazja West commented. “Den what you think is bushes is a whole bunch of white people looking up at him together.”

Other commenters argued the meme discredits congruent conversations about systematic racism occurring around the world.

“Stop it, don’t minimize the fight with any BS! Whoever you are, stop. Don’t cheapen the movement of all people who want change,” commented Gregg Simmers.

Analysis of the $20 bill and White House decor shows the meme misinterpreting the image of a lantern as a lynching.

Ben-Ahparayam has yet to respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.

Fact Check: Reviewing President Donald Trump’s Alleged Failures in Office

The lantern has been hanging in front of the White House since 1902

The meme claims that a lantern hanging outside the White House is actually a hanging black man and that the bushes are a crowd watching. The character misinterpreting the meme is a lantern that has hung at the entrance of the White House for 118 years.

The “distinctive wrought iron and glass lantern” was hung in the North Portico of the White House in 1902 by Edward F. Caldwell and Co. as part of President Theodore Roosevelt’s Beaux Arts renovation.

“It hangs quietly under the floodlit north portico, providing the glowing backdrop for White House Correspondents’ nightly television newscasts,” the White House Historical Association says of the lantern on its website.

The iconic lantern and the chains that hold it up are even featured in the official White House logo.

Fact check: Barack Obama mentioned Juneteenth as president multiple times

$20 bills have featured this lantern since 1998

The bill depicted in the meme is a $20 bill issued since 2003. This version of the $20 bill features a portrait of President Andrew Jackson on one side and a vignette of the White House on the reverse. Versions of this White House lantern vignette have appeared on $20 bills since 1998.

The first $20 bill, issued in 1914, featured a portrait of President Grover Cleveland and a traffic vignette on the reverse. In 1929 it was updated to include a portrait of Jackson and a south-facing White House vignette. In 1998, the back of the bill was updated to a north-facing White House vignette, including the lantern.

An anticipated version of the $20 bill, depicting abolitionist heroine Harriet Tubman, was due to print in 2020 but has been delayed by several years.

Fact check: Joe Biden’s great-grandfather didn’t own slaves, fought for the Confederacy

Our rating: Wrong

We rate the claim that US $20 bills depict an image of a hanging black man and a crowd watching as FALSE as it is not supported by our research. The misinterpreted decorative lantern has hung outside the White House since 1902 and has appeared on $20 bills since 1998. The decorative lantern is a widely recognized decorative element of the White House and even features on its current logo.

Our fact check sources:

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Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

A totally cashless society sounds enticing to some, and while we’ve made strides to make it possible, it’s not yet a reality. Despite the magic of PayPal, Square, credit cards, and mobile wallets, some of us have to carry cash around.

While we can choose from a rich selection of singles, fins, sawhorses, jacksons, $50 bills, and benjamins, there are several other denominations that the US Treasury Department has discontinued — or that are just plain rare. Here are the most notable.

KEY FINDINGS As of December 31, 2020, there are still 1.4 billion $2 bills in circulation.

A $500 or $1,000 bill can be worth more than its face value.

The $10,000 bill was the largest denomination ever printed for public consumption.

Collectors cannot legally hold a $100,000 bill.

$2 bill

public domain

The first $2 bills were printed in 1862. They originally featured a portrait of Alexander Hamilton but were later redesigned to depict Thomas Jefferson. Aesthetically, the $2 bill is something to behold. On the back is a reproduction of one of the most famous paintings in American history – The Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull.

With the exception of the decade from 1966 to 1976, $2 bills have been printed continuously since the Civil War. Yet the average American, not handling cash for a living, can go years without seeing one. Although the $2 bill is still in circulation and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing recognizes it as legal tender, it is considered the rarest denomination of currency in the United States. As of December 31, 2020, 1.4 billion banknotes were in circulation.

500 dollar bill

public domain

The Treasury Department minted several versions of the $500 bill with a portrait of President William McKinley on the front. The last $500 bill rolled off the presses in 1945 and was officially discontinued 24 years later in 1969.

Like all bills featured here, the $500 bill remains legal tender. Most of the $500 bills in circulation today are in the hands of dealers and collectors. However, should you come into possession of a $500 bill, you will find that its market value far exceeds its face value, with self-worn examples fetching over a 40% premium on the open market.

Although no longer in circulation, the $500 bill remains legal tender.

1,000 dollar bill

public domain

The original $1,000 bill featured Alexander Hamilton on the front. Presumably realizing that having the same former Treasury Secretary in multiple denominations could be confusing, Hamilton’s portrait was replaced with that of a president – the 22nd and the 24th, Grover Cleveland. Like its little cousin, the $500 bill, the $1,000 bill was discontinued in 1969. And like the $500 bill, the $1,000 bill seems to have a lot more use today than it did back then.

Why? Inflation of course. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) was an estimated 36.8 in 1969. In January 2022, the US CPI was 281.9, meaning a $1,000 bill today would equate to a relatively modest $130 bill during the Summer of Love. Does it make sense that we’ve lost larger denominations as the value of a dollar has gotten smaller and smaller? The Treasury argues that keeping denominations unfavorably small minimizes the possibility of money laundering.

That being said, hold a $1,000 bill that will find its way into your palm even more firmly than a $500 bill.

Martha Washington is the first and only woman to appear as a principal portrait on US paper money. Her image appeared on the $1 silver certificate beginning in 1886. It was discontinued in 1957 and was the second longest-issued paper money.

$5,000 bill

public domain

Originally issued to fund the Revolutionary War, the $5,000 bill was not officially printed by the government until the start of the Civil War. The bill was adorned with a portrait of James Madison. President Richard Nixon ordered the bills to be recalled in 1969 over concerns that criminals might use them for money laundering activities.

Finding a $5,000 bill today takes guts, luck and well over $5,000.

10,000 dollar bill

public domain.

Salmon P. Chase is perhaps the most accomplished politician in our nation’s history who has never served as President. But even though he was Ohio Governor and Senator, served as Secretary of the Treasury under Abraham Lincoln, and became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, most people remember Chase as the guy on the $10,000 bill.

The $10,000 bill, the largest denomination ever printed for public consumption, never saw much use. This lack of usage is understandable given that its value exceeded the average American’s net worth for most of the time the bill was available. First printed in 1918, the note was part of the purge of major currencies in 1969. Like its $5,000 counterpart, only a few hundred authenticated specimens survive.

$100,000 bill

public domain

The $100,000 bill, featuring a portrait of Woodrow Wilson, was actually a gold certificate that was never circulated or issued for public use. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing created them during the Great Depression in 1934 to conduct official transactions between Federal Reserve banks.

While the $100,000 bill cannot legally be held by collectors, some institutions such as the Museum of American Finance display them for educational purposes. The Smithsonian Museum and some branches of the Federal Reserve System (FRS) also hold these rare notes.

The faces on every US bill in circulation include five American Presidents and two Founding Fathers. These are all men:

george washington

Thomas Jefferson

AbrahamLincoln

Alexander Hamilton

Andrew Jackson

Ulysses S Grant

Benjamin Franklin

The faces of larger denominations that are no longer in circulation — the $500, $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, and $100,000 bills — are also those of men who served as president and treasury secretary.

The Treasury Department stopped printing the larger bills in 1945, but most remained in circulation until 1969, when the Federal Reserve began shredding notes received from the banks. The few that remain can be legally spent, but are so rare that they are worth more than their face value to collectors.

Harriet Tubman

However, the federal agency responsible for printing the seven denominations planned to reintroduce a woman to a US bill for the first time in a century.

The Treasury Department announced in 2016 that it planned to bump Jackson on the back of the $20 bill and place the face of Harriet Tubman, the late African-American activist and formerly enslaved woman, on the face of the currency in 2020 to to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the 19th constitutional amendment recognizing and guaranteeing women’s suffrage.

Then-Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew wrote when announcing the plans in 2016:

“The decision to put Harriet Tubman on the new $20 was driven by thousands of responses we received from Americans young and old. I was particularly impressed by the many comments and reactions from children, for whom Harriet Tubman is not just a historical figure, but a role model for leadership and participation in our democracy.”

Who determines the faces on every US bill?

The person who has the final say on whose faces appear on every US bill is the Secretary of the Treasury. But the exact criteria for deciding who appears on our fiat currency is unclear, save for one glaring detail. The Treasury Department says only that it “considers individuals whose places in history are well known to the American people.”

The faces on our US bills mostly fit this criteria. One character may seem obscure—Salmon P. Chase—but so does the denomination he appears on: the out-of-print $10,000 bill.

Chase was actually the first person responsible for the design of the nation’s paper currency. He was also the father of Kate Chase Sprague, a well-known socialite during Lincoln’s presidency who later became embroiled in a scandal.

The face of a living person is not allowed

Federal law prohibits a living person’s face from appearing on any currency. The Treasury Department states: “The law prohibits the appearance of portraits of living persons on government securities.”​

Over the years, rumors circulating via email and social media have claimed that living former presidents, including Barack Obama, were being considered for inclusion in US bills.

A spoof, repeatedly shared and held true, states that Obama’s face would replace George Washington’s on the $1 bill:

“We considered starting a new denomination for Obama, but George Washington has had a lot of time in the sun.”

Redesign of US invoices

The inclusion of Tubman’s face on the $20 bill was part of a redesign of all $5, $10 and $20 bills to honor women’s suffrage and civil rights movements announced by the Treasury Department in 2016.

Tubman was the first woman to be featured on paper money since the portrait of First Lady Martha Washington appeared on the $1 silver certificate in the late 19th century.

Lincoln and Hamilton’s faces, which appear on the $5 and $10 bills, would remain in place. But the backs of those bills would depict key figures in the suffrage and civil rights movement: Marian Anderson and Martin Luther King Jr. on the $5 bill, and Lucretia Mott, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul on the 10 dollar bill.

But the election of Donald Trump in November 2016 may have halted those plans. The Republican presidential administration did not approve of the idea of ​​swapping Jackson for Tubman.

Then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told MSNBC in 2017:

“People have been on the bills for a long time. We will consider that. Right now we have much more important issues to focus on.”

Trump himself declined to endorse Tubman on the $20 bill, stating before his election that he prefers to keep his favorite president there:

“I’d like to leave Andrew Jackson and see if maybe we can find another denomination.”

However, Mnuchin revealed in May 2019 that the redesigned bill with Tubman’s face on the front would not be ready until 2020, and likely 10 years from now.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called for an independent investigation into whether White House influence played a role in the decision. Acting Inspector General Rich Delmar said the investigation would take about 10 months.

Here’s a look at who’s currently betting on US currency:

answers

Apparently, the US Treasury Department gets this question quite often – it appears in their list of frequently asked questions. The pyramid is part of the Great Seal of the United States. The Great Seal was first used on the back of the Federal Reserve one-dollar bill in 1935. According to the State Department, the official custodian of the seal, the pyramid symbolizes strength and permanence. The pyramid appears unfinished because it means that the United States will always “grow, improve, and build.” The eye is the “All-Seeing Eye,” suggesting the importance of divine guidance in favor of the American cause. Learn more about our currency at the Treasury Department’s website at http://www.treas.gov.

Paper Currency Value by Serial Numbers: What Are Your Dollars Worth?

Pull any bill from your wallet. See the dark green numbers in the top left and top right? They could mean that your bill is worth a lot more than its face value.

When the digits in a serial number are unique or interesting, collectors may be willing to pay big bucks—hundreds or even thousands of dollars—to your bill. You’ll get the most profit from a $1 bill with a fancy serial number, as its face value is lower than, say, a $20 bill, but it’s worth checking all your cash. Who knows what your $100 bill might actually be worth?

Knowing what your paper money might be worth is all in the serial number.

What are serial numbers?

Serial numbers are eight-digit codes that are unique to each invoice. They are accompanied by other identifying letters and numbers that tell us what series year the invoice is from and where it was printed. They are on the face of US currency and are always printed twice.

series year

On invoices $5 and up, each serial number begins with a letter that tells us the serial year of the invoice. The years are represented by the letters A-P as follows:

A: 1996

B: 1999

C: 2001

Germany: 2003

E: 2004

Q: 2003A

G: 2004A

H: 2006

Me: 2006

Y: 2009

K: 2006A

L: 2009A

M: 2013

N: 2017

P: 2017A

The series year is also printed separately on the currency, between the historical figure’s portrait (like Lincoln on the $5 bill) and the Treasury Secretary’s signature in the lower right portion of the bill. You can check an invoice you have at home to see how these match up.

On dollar bills (and $2 bills), the series year appears only in the lower right quadrant.

Federal Reserve identifier

Additionally, each serial number has a letter and a number that show us where the currency was printed. The Federal Reserve has 12 banks, and each bank is assigned a combination of letters and numbers. The identifiers are as follows:

A1: Boston

B2: New York City

C3: Philly

D4: Cleveland

E5: Richmond

F6: Atlanta

G7: Chicago

H8: St Louis

I9: Minneapolis

J10: Kansas City

K11: Dallas

L12: San Francisco

On $5 bills and up, the bank identifier appears separately from the serial number, although the letter also appears next to the letter of the series year before the actual serial number.

On $1 and $2 bills, the letter preceding the serial number corresponds to the bank where the bill was printed (eg, K for Dallas), and the number portion of this identifier appears separately on the currency.

Categories of US fiat money

There are several categories of paper money in the United States, and some are more collectible than others.

Silver Certificates are bills issued between 1878 and 1964 in denominations of $1 to $1,000. They are typically worth anywhere from $2 to $20 for $1 bills, $10 to $12 for $5 bills, and $30 to $5,000 for $10 bills, depending on the year of issue

Gold Certificates are banknotes issued between 1863 and 1933 in denominations of $10 to $10,000. Worn bills can be $100 or more for $20 bills, $250 or more for $50 bills, $1,000 or more for $100 bills, $2,500 or more for $500 bills, and $2,000 or more for $1,000 bills -Be worth bills.

Confederate issues are bills issued during the Civil War (1861-1865). They are not usually sought after by collectors.

Federal Reserve Notes are banknotes issued between 1914 and the present day in denominations ranging from $1 to $10,000. The value of a modern bill depends on its serial number and how unusual it is. Collectors are looking for different types of fancy serial numbers that stand out from the crowd.

15 kinds of valuable serial numbers

Want to see if your fiat currency is worth way more than $1 or $5? Here’s what to look for.

1. Low serial number

Collectors love bills with low serial numbers, such as those under 1,000 or 100 (e.g. 00000100). On eBay, these types of invoices can sell for anywhere from $20 to $100.

The lower the serial number, the more valuable the currency is considered; A bill with the serial number 00000001 could be worth $15,000, according to SavingAdvice.com.

2. High number

People also like to collect higher numbered currencies and these can be even more valuable than lower numbered ones as there are fewer in circulation. Notes marked 99999900 and above are particularly appreciated.

3. Fins

A pinball machine is a bill whose number can be read right side up or upside down. For example 0069000. Fins range from a few dollars to several hundred dollars on eBay.

4. Star Notes

Some bills have an asterisk instead of a letter at the end of their serial number. These so-called star notes are issued as a replacement if the original invoice contained a printing error. Because it’s against policy to produce a dollar’s serial number more than once, the mint simply adds a star at the end.

These misprints are not common, so there are not many star notes in circulation. On eBay, you’ll see $1 star bills starting at $5.

5. Repeaters and super repeaters

Blocks of repeating digits (e.g. 27527527) are coveted, with $1 repeaters starting at around $3 or $4 on eBay.

A two-digit repeating number like 45454545 is called a super repeater and is even more valuable. Some eBay listings start at a few hundred dollars.

6. Solids and near-solids

A solid serial number is one where every digit is the same, like 55555555.

Only about 1 in 11 million bills are sound, and they can be worth $500 or more.

Because these bills are so rare, people also collect fast solids where only one digit differs, like 55555575. These usually fetch less money than solids, but you’re more likely to find one.

7. Binary Calculations

Binary notes have serial numbers with only two digits, such as B. 29299299. An almost solid value would count as one of these binaries since it contains only two numbers. Some binary notes can sell for $900 on eBay.

8. Trinary Calculations

Due to the rarity of binary notes, some collectors even ask for trinary notes, which contain three unique digits in different combinations (e.g. 29329939).

9. Ladders

When the serial number goes up (e.g. 12345678) or down (e.g. 8765431) in the order, collectors call it a ladder. You’ll also find “near ladders” where a digit or two breaks up the ladder.

Ladder notes sell for $9 up to $7,000 on eBay.

10th birthdays

Some collectors want notes with a specific year or date in the serial number, perhaps a famous date or one meaningful to them. For example, 02162006 might be valuable to a collector whose child was born on February 16, 2006.

A serial number that only contains the year, such as 10901985 or 10002010, is also desirable.

11. Radars and superradars

A radar serial number reads the same backwards and forwards, like a palindrome. For example, 06288260. A $1 uncirculated radar in good condition might sell for about $25.

If only the last two digits are different (like 27777772) you have a super radar that is much rarer and more valuable. Even a $1 bill with this type of serial number can sell for $70+ on eBay.

12th consecutive

If you have two or more separate notes with consecutive serial numbers, e.g. B. 25348793 and 25348794, you have one of these series. They’re not uncommon, as you can get consecutive bills from each bank, but can be valuable if they also fit into a different category on this list.

13. Doubles

Doubles occur when a serial number contains pairs of numbers, e.g. e.g. 24459387. The most valuable type is called a quad double if a serial number contains four sets of doubles (e.g. 55998833).

14. Quadruple Sculls

While technically a version of a quad-double, notes whose serial numbers consist of two sets of four of the same number are known as double quads. (Confusing, isn’t it?)

For example, 77776666 is a double quad. These notes are rarer and more valuable.

15. Bookends

If the serial number has the same two or three digits at both ends, it is called a bookend. Bookends with three numbers, like 36584365, are more valuable than two-digit bookends, like 36829736. Prices start at around $8 for a $1 bookend on eBay.

How to search for serial numbers

If you think you have a note that is worth more than its face value, you can search for the serial number online.

To test it out, I looked up the number on a $5 bill I had in my wallet at MyCurrencyCollection.com. Once you enter the bill’s eight-digit number, it’s assigned a percentage on the “Coolness Index.” This index is created by CoolNumbers.com using a formula that ranks numbers based on their “interesting qualities”.

Our $5 bill was 89.9% cool or “almost cool” according to the website. Here are some facts we found out about the note that made it almost (but not quite) cool:

It had a 4-of-a-kind and 1 pair, which is said to have only 2.6% of the bills.

The digits on the bill totaled 48, and 8% of the eight-digit serial numbers totaled at least 48.

It had four unique digits, and 9.3% of eight-digit serial numbers have four digits or fewer.

It contained two pairs together, which accounts for only 10% of serial numbers on paper money.

Unfortunately, “almost cool” isn’t enough to inflate the value of the $5, so we won’t make any extra money from it. And unfortunately, the dollar bill was rated solidly “uncool” at just 18.5% on the coolness index.

Checking online that your money is cool (or not) doesn’t guarantee you can sell it for more than face value, however. While you can list your fiat money for as much or as little as you like, the value depends on what people are willing to pay for it.

Where to sell your paper money

If you are the owner of a unique banknote, there are several places where you can redeem it.

The easiest way is to post your note on eBay. Do a search to see where similar notes are listed and list yours in the same ballpark. You don’t want to list too low and wonder if you could have earned more; You also don’t want to list it too highly and risk not selling it at all.

If you don’t want to deal with eBay, you can search locally for paper money dealers in your area. If this is the case you can bring your bills to them for an appraisal and they will either offer to buy the bill from you or refer you to someone who may be interested.

frequently asked Questions

Still have questions about your paper money and what it might be worth? These FAQs should help.

Which dollar bill serial numbers are worth money? In general, the more unique the serial number on your bill, the more likely it is to be worth more than face value. Some examples of uniqueness are repeating numbers, numbers followed by an asterisk, and sequences of numbers (e.g. 12345678). For a complete list of potentially valuable serial number types, see the “15 Types of Valuable Serial Numbers” section above. How do I know if my dollar bill is worth money? To know if your dollar bill could be worth more than just $1, you need to examine the serial number. This is an eight-digit number printed twice on all paper money bills, prefixed with one or two letters depending on the denomination. If the number is unique or has a star behind it, it could be valuable. See “15 Types of Valuable Serial Numbers” and “Serial Number Lookups” above. How do you check serial numbers for money? You can check your serial numbers online to get an idea of ​​whether they might be worth more than face value. See the “How to look up serial numbers” section above. What is the value of paper money? Paper money is usually worth exactly the amount listed on the face (e.g. $1, $5, or $10). However, some bills have unique serial numbers that make them desirable to collectors and therefore sell for more than their face value. See “15 Types of Valuable Serial Numbers” to learn more about the types of unique numbers that are valuable to collectors.

Maryan Akinboyeway and Catherine Hiles are collaborators of The Penny Hoarder. Senior author Robert Bruce also contributed.

The 1969 $20 bill may be worth more than its face value

Federal Reserve notes, especially those that are no longer in circulation, are very popular with the avid collector of paper bills.

People who don’t understand why these people keep chasing old bills may not be as passionate about these things or may not be aware of their value.

There are actually a variety of reasons why collectors have gotten into this type of hobby. Most of the time, it’s the serial number on the paper bill that makes it valuable to them. Some do this for investment reasons, while others simply appreciate the beauty of having sets of different bills.

The 1969 $20 bill may be one of the most amazing collectibles worth keeping.

What makes the 1969 $20 bill valuable

The 1969 $20 bill, which features Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, has a green seal on the right with the Federal Reserve Note above it.

Since many of these $20 bills have been printed, it’s safe to say that they’re pretty common. However, there are things that can make them worth more than their face value.

Fancy serial numbers

Always remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The serial number on a 1969 $20 bill can be unique and interesting to currency collectors in a number of ways.

Low Serial Numbers: Most collectors look for paper invoices with low serial numbers (e.g. A00000001C). Those with serial numbers below 100 can double or even exceed the value of the bill. Basically, the lower the serial number, the higher the value.

Most collectors look for paper bills with low serial numbers (e.g. A00000001C). Those with serial numbers below 100 can double or even exceed the value of the bill. Basically, the lower the serial number, the higher the value. High Serial Numbers: Just like the low serial numbers, there are collectors who want high numbered notes (e.g. F99999998G). They’re actually harder to find, as not all bill series reach high numbers before being changed, making them somewhat rare.

Just like the low serial numbers, there are collectors who want high numbered notes (e.g. F99999998G). They’re actually harder to find, as not all bill series reach high numbers before being changed, making them somewhat rare. Conductor Serial Numbers: Invoices with serial numbers in ascending or descending order are referred to as Conductor Certificates (e.g. A12345678B or B87654321A). They are extremely rare. So if you happen to come across a 1969 $20 bill with a ladder serial number, be aware that it’s worth more than face value.

Invoices with serial numbers in ascending or descending order are called ladder notes (e.g. A12345678B or B87654321A). They are extremely rare. So if you happen to come across a 1969 $20 bill with a ladder serial number, be aware that it is worth more than face value. Solid Serial Numbers: When all the numbers in the serial number are the same, it is said to be of a solid serial number (e.g. D99999999A). Solid bills are extremely rare, so many collectors look out for them.

When all numbers in the serial number are the same, it is said to have a solid serial number (e.g. D99999999A). Solid bills are extremely rare, so many collectors look out for them. Birthday: Many collectors look for banknotes that contain the year of birth somewhere in the serial number. However, if the number also includes the day and month they were born, then that particular invoice is of higher value to collectors (e.g. your birthday is October 20, 2013 and the serial number is K10202013J).

Misprinted money

Various errors occur when printing paper invoices, e.g. B. Banknotes with seal and serial number on the back.

This happens when banknote sheets are fed into the press with the wrong side facing up. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing tries to record every printing error that occurs, but sometimes they fail to find one and it gets circulated.

This particular note will certainly be of value to bill collectors who wish to have misprinted money as part of their collection.

However, misprints are not necessarily uncommon, because when one misprint occurs, many of the same misprints also happen. Therefore, the value of a misprint depends on its condition and the rarity of the error.

star notes

If you have a 1969 $20 bill with a star at the beginning or end of the serial number, it means you’re lucky and should keep it.

Since nothing is perfect, there are times when the invoices need to be reprinted due to an error. And instead of reprinting the misprinted invoices, they simply circulate star notes to replace the error notes.

However, this is not common, which is why star notes are quite rare and valuable.

For those who aren’t very interested, a 1969 $20 bill might not mean much. But those who have keener eyes will be able to see its true worth and worth.

References:

http://www.savingadvice.com/articles/2013/10/07/1018389_17-bills-in-your-wallet-worth-more-than-face-value.html

http://www.ebay.com/gds/The-Ultimate-Federal-Reserve-Note-Buying-Guide-/10000000177627300/g.html

http://www.oldcurrencyvalues.com/Old_Twenty_Dollar_Bill.html

http://www.oldcurrencyvalues.com/1950_Twenty_Dollar_Green.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_j_U-qqJyk