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The next time you pull out a dollar bill to buy a can of soda or order of fries off the value menu, take a good look at the bill first. Check the serial number on the bottom left and upper right. If you notice the numbers going in a straight numerical sequence — as in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc. — put that dollar bill back in your pocket and go lock it up nice and secure. It could make you thousands of dollars richer.
One of the most valuable dollar bill variations in the world, called a “ladder” in collector’s parlance, could be worth about $6,000, according to the Penny Hoarder website: “When the serial number ascends (e.g. 12345678) or descends (e.g. 8765431) in order, collectors call it a ladder. You’ll also find ‘near ladders,’ where one or two digits break up the ladder.”
Chances are you’ve never come across a ladder and never will. As a blog on the Variety & Errors website noted, a “true ladder in its purest form” is only printed once out of every 96 million notes in a standard print run.
There are variations, however. These include “near ladders” where one or two digits break up the ladder sequence (as in 12349567). Near ladders might sell for anywhere from $9 to hundreds of dollars on eBay.
In case you’ve never taken time to analyze your dollar bills, serial numbers are unique, eight-digit codes that are accompanied by other identifying letters and numbers. The codes tell you which series year the bill is from and where it was printed. You’ll find them on the front of U.S. currency and they are always printed twice.
Ladders aren’t the only serial numbers that command a premium from collectors. Penny Hoarder lists more than a dozen serial-number variations that could kick up the value of your bills by hundreds of dollars.
Low, High and Solid Serial Bills Also Worth More to Collectors
For example, low serial numbers such as those below 1,000 or 100 — for example, 00000100 — have sold for as high as $300 on eBay. A serial number of 00000001 could be worth as much as $15,000, though there’s no evidence that one even exists.
Similarly, high serial numbers such as 99999900 are also prized by collectors. So are “flippers” that can be read the same way upside down, such as 0069000. This bill could fetch several hundred dollars on eBay.
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If you see a “solid” serial number on your note — such as 55555555 — you can expect to get as much as $500 from collectors.
Even more valuable are binary bills in which the serial numbers only have two numbers, such as 29299299. Some of these notes sell for more than $800 on eBay.
Rare Coin Value vs. Rare Bills
As good as all that sounds, it pales in comparison to the real superstars of currency — rare coins.
The most valuable U.S. coin is the 1913 Liberty Head V Nickel. It has an estimated worth of more than $5.6 million, according to Luxe Digital. Other coins that command seven figures are the 1894-S Barber Dime ($2.4 million) and 1943 Lincoln Head Copper Penny ($2.3 million).
