What should I look for on a 100 dollar bill?
In addition, a way to verify a legitimate bill is to double check the 100 in the corner of the bill. The color change of copper/green to black on the 100 in the lower right corner will help you verify an authentic $100 bill. A fake bill will not turn to black when you tilt the bill. It will stay copper/green.
Knowing what your paper money might be worth is all in the serial number. Serial numbers are eight digits long and are unique to each bill. They are paired with other identifying letters and numbers that identify the series year the bill is from and where it was printed.
Hold the note to light to see an embedded thread running vertically to the left of the portrait. The thread is imprinted with the letters USA and the numeral 100 in an alternating pattern and is visible from both sides of the note. The thread glows pink when illuminated by ultraviolet light.
The serial number appears in the upper left and lower right corners. If the serial number doesn't correspond to the series, then you are dealing with a counterfeit. If the bill is series 2009, then the serial number should begin with J. If the bill is series 2009A, then the serial number should begin with L.
High Denomination Bills
If you find a bill higher than $100, you could possess valuable currency. According to the Atlanta Federal Reserve website, notes in the denominations of $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000 were last printed in 1945 and issued until 1969, making them pretty rare.
Unless it has a unique feature, like a low serial number or misprint, a newer $2 bill likely isn't worth much more than $2, even if it's uncirculated.
In what is called "fancy serial numbers" by many auction websites and currency estimators, serials with five or more zeros are considered more valuable. The more zeros the better, according to My Currency Collection.
Serial numbers are eight-digit-long codes that are unique to each bill. They are accompanied by other identifying letters and numbers that tell us which series year the bill is from and where it was printed. They are found on the front of U.S. currency and are always printed twice. What is this?
A watermark is a faint image or pattern that becomes visible when you hold the bill up to the light. The watermark should match the portrait on the bill. Look for security threads: Most genuine banknotes have a thin, embedded security thread that runs vertically through the bill.
Beginning in 1990, an embedded (not printed) security thread was added to all bills except the $1 and $2 bills. If you hold the bill up to the light, you will see the strip and printing on it.
What $100 serial numbers are valuable?
But solids, like 88888888, are also highly prized, as are sequentially numbered “ladders,” like 87654321. Other coveted fancy serial numbers include: Repeaters (36643664) Super repeaters (36363636)
“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.”
- Check for color shifting ink. ...
- Check for raised printing. ...
- Look closely for blurry borders, printing, or text. ...
- Look for red and blue threads in the bill. ...
- Check the watermark. ...
- Check for the security thread. ...
- Check new $100's for security ribbon.
If your $2 bill dates back to 1886 and has a red seal with a silver certificate, you're in luck. That bill is worth $4,500. A number of other iterations of the $2 bills with a red seal can also fetch well over a $1,000. Bills with brown seals are also very valuable.
What is my $2 bill worth? To find the value of your $2 bill, look at the year and seal color. 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.
More recently, the USCA lists a value of $500 on certain uncirculated $2 bills from 1995.
- The 1861 $1,000 Bill. The $1,000 bill holds the record for being the largest denomination ever printed for public consumption. ...
- The 1928 $500 Bill. ...
- The 1950 $100 Bill. ...
- The 1862 $50 Bill. ...
- The 1933-34 $10 Bill.
| Rare 2-Dollar Bill | How to Spot It |
|---|---|
| 1928B $2 Red Seal Star Notes | Look at the serial number. If it starts with a star and ends with a B, it's rare. |
| 1890 Treasury Note 2-Dollar Bill | Check the portrait. This rare bill features General James McPherson. |
At U.S. Coins & Jewelry, we buy and sell a large selection of collectible US Currency from small size silver certificates to large size treasury notes, banknotes, and even confederate currency.
Generally, the more unique the serial number on your dollar bill, the more likely it is to be worth more than face value. Some examples of uniqueness include repeating numbers, numbers with a star after them and sequences (such as 12345678).
What is a flipper bill?
Also called a flipper, this pedigree is a serial number that doesn't change if read upside down. For example, the serial 6699 6699 makes the exact same number when flipped over.
If you are referring to the letter K surrounded by a decorative circular pattern on the left side of the obverse (portrait) face of a bill, in the position where the B is located (red square) here: The letter K in that position indicates that the bill originated at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, TX. (
Any $2 bill dating back to 1976 that has been in circulation – and any uncirculated versions since 2003 – are worth only their face value, USCA says. Uncirculated bills between 1976 and 2003 range in estimated value from $2.25 to as much as $500.
ValueofCoins.org listed the price at $6 to $50 for a $5 bill. However, banknotes meeting other criteria, such as errors or unique serial numbers, can drive the price up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
In genuine currency, both the watermark image and the portrait are the same person AND are facing in the same direction. The counterfeit $100s are facing opposite directions and are different images. The counterfeit $100 bills have the watermark of Hamilton when it should be Franklin.
