Alex Carson
Are you looking to make a few thousand dollars? Maybe even a million? Do you wish you owned a rare asset that could rake in some fast cash? Well, you might want to check your wallet – your dollar bills might be worth more than their face value.
There are quite a few rare dollar bills out there that could be worth a fortune! These are dollar bills that might be rare due to unique serial numbers, high denominations, or printing defects. The face value of some of these rare dollar bills might only be 1 or 5, but the actual value can be a few thousand!
If you’re looking to make some fast cash, take a closer look at your dollar bills to see if you own any rare ones. You might want to show them to a collector.
Let’s look at the rare dollar bills that you just might have lying around that could potentially be worth a fortune
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HIGH DENOMINATION BILLS
You might have traveled abroad and marveled at foreign currencies that have high denominations. Perhaps you’ve seen a 5000 Serbian Dinar note or even the 10 trillion Zimbabwean Dollar!
But even the United States has issued notes in high denominations. The US had printed $500, $1,000 and $10,000 notes. These large denomination notes were in common use in the 18th century and ceased circulation in the late 1960s.
If you have any $500, $1000, or $10000 notes, you’re potentially sitting on a goldmine. These are some of the preferred notes that currency collectors like to get their hands on. $10,000 notes, especially, are extremely rare.
In fact, some collectors have paid six-figures for a $10,000 note in mint condition. Even if yours isn’t in the best condition, you can still expect to sell it for a couple of thousand dollars above it’s face value.
If you have family that have lived in the USA for several generations, you might want to look in your family archives. You might just find $500 that’s actually worth $20,000!
There was even a $100,000 bill printed, but this isn’t legally available to collectors. You can, however, see one at the Smithsonian Museum.
Before we tell you more about some rare dollar bills that you might want to check to see if you have tucked away, please like this video and subscribe to Facts Verse for more great content.
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UNUSUAL SERIAL NUMBERS
Unless you’re already a currency collector, the only number you’re concerned with is the face value of your cash!
But if you look at the serial number on your dollar bills, you might find some unusual combinations. These unusual combinations might jack up the price of your dollar bills! For example, there was a dollar bill with the serial number 00000002 that sold for $2500!
There are other unique combinations for serial numbers that can potentially help you rake in a few thousands. For example, you should look for dollar bills that have a ladder serial number combination. These include numbers in ascending or descending order. Look out for 12345678 or 98765432. You should also look out for radar serial numbers where the last four numbers are a reverse of the first four numbers. 20011002 is an example.
There are even binary serial numbers that only contain 0s and 1s. These don’t sell for as much – so far – but if you have any lying around, you might want to hold onto them for a rainy day!
There are also repeater serial numbers where you’ll see a repetitive pattern in the serial number. This can include 8 numbers of the same kind, the last four digits matching the first four digits, etcetera. These aren’t as rare as some of the other combinations, but in a few years, you might find a collector who’s willing to shell out a few thousand for a repeater!
You should also keep your eyes peeled for a 7 Of a Kind serial number. This is a serial number that has 7 numbers repeated. These usually sell for a couple hundred dollars now, but it’s likely that they could be worth THOUSANDS in the coming years!
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RADAR COMBINATIONS
These are so unique that they deserve their own section. A radar note has a serial number that reads as a palindrome. That is, the serial number backwards is the same number forwards.
These aren’t as rare as some of the other dollar bills mentioned in this video. However, radar notes from before 1958 are exceptionally rare. If you find a radar note from before 1958, you might want to grab a collector’s attention.
There are also radar repeater notes. These have repeating numbers and also work as palindromes. These can include number combinations such as 10011001 or 43344334. Radar repeater notes currently sell for a few hundred dollars. But if you hold onto them long enough, you might be able to convince a buyer to add an extra 0 to their offer!
You should also look out for the super radar notes. With these notes, the first digit and the last digit in the serial number are the same. Between these digits are a repeating number or a patterned combination of numbers. These aren’t worth too much now, but we wouldn’t want to use them as regular spending money just yet!
RARE BANKNOTES THAT ARE OUT OF CIRCULATION
One of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Alexander Hamilton, was on the face of a $1,000 bill printed in 1918. This rare banknote was featured on an episode of Pawn Stars – and there’s an estimate of 150 available today.
It’s valued at $7,000. That’s quite a lot to pay for one bill. But if you think $7,000 is a lot for a US dollar bill, you haven’t seen anything yet!
You may not think there’s anything extraordinary about a $50 bill featuring President Ulysses S. Grant. But have you come across a 1928 $50 Gold Certificate?
Gold certificates were used to invest in gold bullion and showed how much gold the bearer owned. These were popular before getting recalled when President Roosevelt made gold ownership illegal in the United States. The 1928 $50 Gold Certificate is extremely rare, and it’s valued at $120,000!
In fact, if you own any gold certificates from before 1933, you want to hold onto it. You might find an auction house willing to put it up for sale. Your retirement income might just come from an old gold certificate!
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THE 1882 $500 GOLD CERTIFICATE
Okay, now we’re getting into the big leagues. If you want to make a couple million from old currency, you want to get your hands on an 1882 $500 Gold Certificate.
When we think of America’s 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, we either think about a $5 bill or a penny. But his face adorned a $500 gold certificate printed in 1882. These are extremely rare notes and you’d be hard-pressed to find one in excellent condition.
These are valued at $2.4 million! This gold certificate is part of a collection of gold certificates printed in the 1800s. If you have any gold certificates from before the year 1900, you want to get it insured and then take it to your closest auction house!
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THE 1891 RED SEAL $1,000 BILL & THE WATERMELON BILL
It wasn’t just US Presidents or Founding Fathers who adorned our currency. The 1891 Red Seal $1,000 bill has a portrait of US General George Meade. He served in the American Civil War and was a Commanding Officer of the Army of the Potomac.
The 1891 Red Seal $1,000 Bill first sold at an auction in 1944 for $1,350 – which was a fair amount in those days. But in 2013, this bill sold at an auction for $2.5 million!
There was also the 1890 Grand Watermelon Bill! This is referred to as the ‘watermelon bill’ because the 0s on the back of the banknote resemble large watermelons! This antique currency bill sold at an auction in Orlando for $3.2 million!
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COLONIAL AND CONFEDERATE CURRENCY
But what about American currency before the union of the 50 states? What about colonial and confederate currency?
There are currency retailers, collectors’ shops, and coin shops that sell banknotes from Colonial America as well as from the Confederacy. These banknotes can get sold for a few hundred dollars with some close to a thousand bucks!
Even if these aren’t always in the best condition, you can expect to pay a pretty penny for a $5 bill from 1861 or a shilling from 1779! There haven’t been too many major auctions where colonial and Confederate currency have sold for several thousand or several million dollars – yet!
If you love collecting older money, now might be the time to stack up on Colonial and Confederate currency.
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DO YOU HAVE A $2 BILL LYING AROUND SOMEWHERE?
We couldn’t end this video without talking about the $2 bill. While you’ve probably seen a $2 bill only a few times in your life, they’re not as rare as you may think.
These notes are still getting printed, but they aren’t circulated as much as other bills. The only time the $2 wasn’t printed was between 1966 and 1976. So, if you have a $2 bill lying around somewhere it might not be worth a fortune…
UNLESS…it has some unique features on it. For example, there are $2 bills with errors on it that are considered extremely rare. An error can include an additional overprint or other imperfections in the printing. If your $2 bill has such errors, you might be able to sell it for a fortune. In this case, your $2 is rare.
Retailers have sold rare $2 bills for close to $20,000. So don’t give up hope on those two bucks just yet!
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Check your piggy bank, you might just find a few dollars that are worth several thousands!
Do you like to keep stacks of cash? Or have you completely gone digital with your money?
Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.
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