A $1 bill worth thousands may be hiding in your wallet—here's what to look for (2024)

FAQs

A $1 bill worth thousands may be hiding in your wallet—here's what to look for? ›

There are three things to look for: The series date located near the photograph of George Washington must read “Series 2013″ The bill must have a “B” Federal Reserve Seal above the serial number. The serial number must end with a star (*) and fall between B00000001* – B00250000* or B03200001*-B09600000*

On the back of the $1 bill, the top of the pyramid is incomplete. Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress, stated that the unfinished pyramid signifies “strength and duration,” according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.

The Most Valuable Dollar Bill in History

On lists of single old bills worth money, the 1874 large sized dollar note is always the most valuable. Since these dollar notes are no longer in circulation, you might have better luck finding them in a collection of inherited currency than through spare change.

collectors in the United States are willing to pay up to $150,000 for rare $1 bills that feature a particular printing error * The series date located near the photograph of George Washington must read “Series 2013″ * The bill must have a “B” Federal Reserve Seal above the serial number * The serial number must end ...

The counterfeit portrait is usually lifeless and flat. Details merge into the background which is often too dark or mottled. On a genuine bill, the saw-tooth points of the Federal Reserve and Treasury seals are clear, distinct, and sharp. The counterfeit seals may have uneven, blunt, or broken saw-tooth points.

“On June 25, 1776, the Continental Congress authorized issuance of the $2 denominations in “bills of credit” for the defense of America,” the U.S. Currency Education Program said. Odds are your $2 bill is worth $2, but it doesn't hurt to check.

Bills with red, brown and blue seals from 1862 through 1917 can be worth up to $1,000 or more on the U.S. Currency Auctions website, which bases the value on recent and past paper currency auctions. From 1995, according to the site, a set of 12 notes in their original packaging are worth $500 or more.

Because $5 bills and banknotes have such a long history, those from the earliest years will hold the most value for collectors and dealers. But even $5 bills from the 20th century can fetch high prices. Here's a look at a few different five-dollar bills that can sell for hundreds of dollars or more.

What $2 bill is worth $20,000? ›

“A serial number '1' for a 1976 $2 bill would be worth $20,000 or more. But [for] a majority of those people holding 1976 $2 bills, they are only worth face value. There are very few that actually exceed face value.” Other high-value serial numbers include what collectors call “solid” or “ladders.”

Portrait and Vignette. The $1 note features a portrait of George Washington on the front of the note and an image of the Great Seal of the United States on the back of the note.

The $20 note includes an embedded security thread that glows green when illuminated by UV light. When held to light, a portrait watermark of President Jackson is visible from both sides of the note.The note includes a color-shifting numeral 20 in the lower right corner of the note. close video Click here to begin.