Pair of $1 bills with same printing error could be worth thousands. How to check
Before using $1 bills to buy a lottery ticket, you might want to check your luck with the bucks themselves.
Collectors may be willing to pay up to $150,000 if you have two $1 dollar bills with the same error, according to Wealthynickel.com.
Two batches of $1 bills were printed in 2014 and 2016 with a specific error from the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and they went into circulation before it was noticed, the personal finance blog reported. The first batch was issued in New York and the second in Washington D.C., for a total of 6.4 million banknotes.
Under the right condition and matching serial number, currency collectors are willing to pay between $20,000 and $150,000 for a pair from these batches.
Only nine of these extremely rare pairs have been matched, leaving millions of these special $1 bills out there.
How to check your $1 bills
WealthyNickel said to check your $1 bills for the following:
- Series date that reads "Series 2013." The series date can be found on the right side of the George Washington photograph.
- The "B" Federal Reserve Seal above the serial number.
- The serial number features a star and sits somewhere between "B00000001★ – B00250000★" or "B03200001★-B09600000★"
You must have two $1 bills that match this criteria.
$2 dollar bills, nickels may also be worth far more
Uncirculated $2 bills from 1890 could sell for up to $4,500, and uncirculated bills from almost every year between 1862 and 1917 could be worth at least $1,000, according to U.S. Currency Auctions estimates.
The rates collectors are willing to offer depend on various factors, like printing method and location, the auction site reported. On July 24, 2022, a $2 bill printed in 2003 sold for $2,400 through Heritage Auction, and later resold for $4,000.
Even nickels could be traded for about 50 cents or even over $1,000 under the right circumstances. A 1921 buffalo nickel in mint, or lightly circulated condition, could be worth $1,500 if it has the letter "S" for San Francisco on the reverse side, coin collector David Sorrick told USA TODAY in November.
While unlikely to be in your wallet, a $10,000 bill dating back to 1934 sold for $470,000 in Dallas at another Heritage Auctions auction. So make sure to check twice before you pay cash.