A dollar bill may not seem like a lot of money, but some are rare and can become part of an investment. The key to knowing if a dollar bill is worth more than its face value is to examine the serial number. Serial numbers are a combination of one letter, eight numbers, and another letter at the end. You can easily find them because they are printed in green and are found twice on each banknote. One is near the lower left of the George Washington portrait and the other is located in the upper right of his portrait. Serial number combinations are key in determining the rarity and investment value of an invoice.
The first letter goes from “A” to “L”. These 12 letters are codes for the cities where they were printed. The last letter indicates the number of times the Bureau of Engraving and Printing used the serial number sequence. So “A” means that the serial number has been run only once. “B” indicates a second time and “C” is the third. The number of letters goes through the 26-letter alphabet.
Between the letters are eight numbers that represent how many dollar bills were printed in one year. The first one to print will be “00000001”. The last one is “32000000”. The lower or higher the numbers, the more they are worth as investments. For example, an invoice with a low number like 00000095, or one with a high number 32000022 it can cost between $ 25 and $ 100.
Also, a specific combination of numbers can add value. If you only have two numbers in the set, like “2” and “4”, like 22424442. This number is worth a little more than its face value. But, if you have a repeating pattern, like, 24242424, gold 24224224, your investment has just increased by approximately $ 1,000. This special combination is called a “binary invoice”.
You can also get a set with three numbers, like “2”, “4” and “7”, you can have them in no special order, like:27244727 or 59577975 Of course, if they follow a repeated order, they are worth more. You should know that a combination of two numbers will be more valuable than the combination of three numbers. These are called “trinary bills,” which can only cost $ 3 or $ 5.
Another type is called a “ladder,” which is a straight count from 1 to 8: 12345678 or vice versa: 87654321.
A “radar” ticket reads the same numbers back and forth, like a mirror: 14622641. A “super radar” bill only includes two numbers, with the same only at the beginning and at the end: 59999995. Radars can cost around $ 25, while Super Radars can cost around $ 70.
Two or more separate bills with consecutive serial numbers, such as 25348793 Y 25348794, are two bills printed one after the other.
The “doubles” occur when you have two equal numbers: 33774499. A “double quad” is two sets of four of the same number: 33335555. Even a ticket with a number repeated eight times: 44444444 could bring $ 500.
You can also find a “star note”. If you see a star at the end of a serial number, it means it is a replacement invoice for one with the same serial number that was damaged.
Special combinations of dollar bill serial numbers range in value from a few dollars to a few thousand. My advice is to go to your bank and order a one dollar “strap”, which is a pack of 100 dollar bills. Check them out and see what serial number patterns you can find. Sometimes a new package of dollar bills will arrive at a bank directly from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. So you may have a good chance of finding consecutive tickets, possibly earning you a few more dollars if you sell them to a collector. Just remember that any invoice with a special serial number is a rare item. Now, you have good reason to check the dollar bills in your pocket or purse.