Paper Currency FAQ's

 Paper Currency Frequently Asked Questions


Over the years, we received numerous questions about paper money, often the same questions are asked, so here's a few of the most popularly asked questions about Paper Currency:


I have a bill with a star in the serial number.  Why is it there?  Is it valuable?

Notes that have a star in the serial number are there to notate that it is a reprint of a note that was damaged during original printing. They reprint the serial number of damaged sheets/notes so that they can keep the accounting straight.  Current US currency notes are printed at the Bureau of Engraving & Printing in either Washington DC or Fort Worth Texas, and while they are printed at US Government facilities, they are actually the property of the privately-owned Federal Reserve System that has a "license" to control our money supply.  Because billions of currency notes are printed, mistakes are bound to happen and lots of Serial Numbers need to get reprinted, and thus have stars.  

The value of a Star Note depends on several factors:  how many similar notes from that Series Year had to get reprinted and what is the exact condition of the Star Note in.  Remember, US Currency is printed on sheets of 32 notes at a time, so there were at least 31 others exactly like yours reprinted, and in some cases, tens of thousands were reprinted with stars exactly like yours.  Most modern-era Star Notes from the past 30-50 years need to be in crisp uncirculated condition with absolutely no folds, tears, stains or writing to even be considered for any additional collector value.  

Star Notes of old US Large Size Currency, pre- Series 1928, can be quite rare.   In order to check the value of your particular note, send us an email with this information:    Series Year, Denomination, Federal Reserve District Letter and overall general condition. We may still need to see your note in person, but with that information, we can at least tell you if the note is worth investigating further.




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