If you are struggling for cash this December, you may just be in luck. While $1 bills may not seem to be able to be able to purchase much in lieu of Christmas, things might turn around depending on the serial number of your crumpled old $1 bills. Rare bills can fetch a high price from numismatist (or in lay man’s terms, money collectors). This may be the answer you are looking for to cover those last Christmas expenses stretching your wallet thin.
Misprints on money worth thousands
Misprints on money can be worth thousands of dollars, depending on their rarity and the nature of the mistake. These errors occur during the printing process, and they can include issues such as missing serial numbers, inverted designs, incorrect printing of portraits, or misaligned denominations. Collectors often prize these misprints due to their uniqueness and historical value. The value of these error bills is determined by factors like condition, rarity, and demand within the numismatic community, which can lead to high prices in auctions or private sales.
One of the most expensive and rare coins in the world ever sold at auction is the 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar. Some experts estimate the coin was the first to be ever made by the U.S. mint. The obverse of the coin displays a profile of Lady Liberty with flowing hair, while the reverse depicts an American eagle. Fewer than 1,800 of these coins were ever minted, with estimates suggesting that only 120 to 130 remain today, making it extremely rare. In 2022, one of these coins sold at auction for $12 million, one of the highest amounts a coin has ever been sold for.
Your $1 bill could be worth $150,000
According to Wealthy Nickel, certain batches of $1 bills which were printed between 2014 and 2016 feature a unique printing error. “This miscommunication resulted in dollars printed with duplicate serial numbers, technically counterfeiting their currency. Typically, every bill in circulation has a unique serial number to identify it,” Wealthy Nickel wrote. “Neither misprint was caught by the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and now currency collectors are clamoring to find matching pairs of dollar bills with these duplicate serial numbers.”
There are an estimated 6.4 million pairs of $1 bills with matching serial numbers, but only 37 pairs have been identified so far. The original batches were issued in New York and Washington D.C, but seeing as they have been in circulation for so long they could be anywhere in the country (or the world). If you happen to have one of them, your bill is worth up to a whopping $150,000. The better intact the bill is, the higher price you can fetch for it.
How to identify if your bill is worth $150,000
There are three things you need to identify to determine if your $1 dollar bills worth up to $150,000:
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The series date located near the photograph of George Washington must read “Series 2013″
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The bill must have a “B” Federal Reserve Seal above the serial number
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The serial number must end with a star (*) and fall between B00000001* – B00250000* or B03200001*-B09600000*
If your bill meets all three requirements, you must then identify the missing pair.
Finding old currency with misprints is not an easy hobby or quick way to make cash. Misprints are extremely rare, so while not impossible, you should not bank on all cash you receive having a high chance of fetching a high price at auctions. Some old currency can be worth millions if you are lucky. In this case, your mission is made even harder in that you need to identify the matching pair of you are to collect the money you are due for your rare find,
