My "10 Categories" Guide to Fancy Bank Notes!

Chances are you have a few bills in your wallet. But did you know there is a chance they could be worth more than their face value? Even a new bill can be collectible; the secret lies in its serial number!

There are many ways the serial numbers on paper money (including Federal Reserve Notes, United States Notes, Gold and Silver Certificates) can be special. My guide is a tutorial to the 10 most commonly collected types of serial numbers. Keep in mind that what is considered desirable to one collector may not be for another. The condition of the note is important as well, because the less circulated the note appears, the greater it’s value will be. But unless your note is unusually worn or flawed, if it falls into one of the categories below, then it will probably be worth more than it's face value! And- no matter what the condition is- you can be sure that it will never be worth less than it's face value! You have nothing to lose, so get those bills out of your wallet and learn if you might be the lucky owner of a fancy numbered bill! (Find fancy bank notes on ebay!)

For illustration purposes below, only the enlarged serial number portion of the bill will be shown. The serial number occurs twice on the front of every bill and is printed green on modern notes (blue or red on old notes).

1) Low Serial Number

(Find current low serial number notes on ebay!)

In general, the lower the serial number, the more valuable it may be. A serial number under 1000 or under 100 is most desirable. The example below shows a $1 bill with a very low serial number of 00000081. Other examples of low serial numbers include 00000384 and 00002712. Very high serial numbers are also collectible! They are even more rare than low serial numbers because not every series gets up that high. An example would be serial number 99999917.

Low Serial Number

2) Binary

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A serial number containing just two unique digits is called a binary or binary note. In the note shown below, the serial number is 11113131. Since the only two digits used are 1 and 3, this is a binary note. Other examples include 48884484 and 29299299. Additionally, if all the digits are a combination of 0's and 1's it is called a true binary. An example of this would be serial number 11110011. Finally, you may also find trinary notes on ebay which contain three unique digits. An example of this would be 05110551.

Binary

3) Solid and Near Solid

(Find current solid or near solid notes on ebay!)

If all the digits in the serial number are the same, it is called a solid note (55555555 for example). Solid notes are extremely rare, and it is more likely that you will find a near solid instead. A near solid occurs when almost all of the digits are the same number. In the example below, 7 of the 8 digits are the same (33333303). Since there are only two unique digits, all near solid notes are also binary notes.

Near Solid

4) Radar

(Find current radar notes on ebay!)

Radar bills have a serial number that reads the same forwards or backwards! For example, 45733754 is a radar serial number, because you can reverse the digits and it will still be the same number. There are many different examples of this including 72388327 and 03855830 (shown below).

Radar

5) Repeater

 (Find current repeater notes on ebay!)

Serial numbers with a sequence of numbers that repeats itself is called a repeating or repeater serial number. 62626262 and 38738738 are a few examples of repeaters as is the serial number shown below (07170717).

Repeater

6) Doubles

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Doubles occur when "pairs" of numbers occur within the serial number. The most notable example of this is four sets of doubles, often referred to as quad doubles. For example 44880022 and 11773355 are quad doubles, as well as the serial number shown below (11993355).

(Quad) Doubles

7) Ladder

 (Find current ladder notes on ebay!)

A ladder describes a serial number with digits in numerical sequence, either ascending or descending. For example, 76543210 or 34567890 are serial numbers with all 8 digits as a true or complete ladder. These are extremely rare. Near ladder notes are also collectible. This occurs when most- but not all- of the digits are in ladder sequence. For example, 30123456 is still considered a ladder note. The example below is an unusual ladder note because it contains both ascending and descending ladders; it also is a radar note because it reads the same forwards or backwards!

Ladder/Radar

8) Consecutive

 (Find current consecutive notes on ebay!)

Consecutive refers to two or more separate bills with consecutive serial numbers. For example, let's say you have two bills in your wallet. One has the serial number 28364404 and the other 28364405. The bills would be an example of consecutive notes. Such notes are actually very common and can even be purchased at a bank in bundles of 100. They are more collectible if they also fall into one of the other categories. For example: near ladder/consecutive notes with serial numbers 71234567 and 71234568.

9) Bookends

 (Find current bookend notes on ebay!)

Bookends occur when the same sequence of digits can be found at both ends of the serial number. For example, in the serial number 52194521, "521" is the sequence of digits occuring at both the beginning and end of the number and are called "bookends." Serial numbers 62043620 and 14555514 are bookend notes as is the example shown below (20516320).

Bookends

10) Birthday

(Find current birthday notes on ebay!)

Sometimes collectors look for a serial number containing a special sequence of 4 digits referring to a notable year. (It may refer to their birth year, anniversary or another personalized event.) Such notes are often referred to as birth year or birthday notes. The date may occur anywhere in the serial number but is generally more desirable if it occurs at the end or is surrounded or preceeded by zeros. Some examples of birthday notes: 28161995, 00001963 or 00194600

Birthday notes are especially desirable if the entire serial number is a special date. For example, suppose you were born on November 15, 1953. Your birthday in a bank note would be 11151953 (shown below).

Birthday

Combinations of two or more of the above categories can also make your bank note even more collectible! Some examples below:

• Ladder/Repeater combination (Example: 12341234)
• Radar/Binary/Bookend combination (Example: 44777744)
• Near Solid/Radar combination (Example: 33388333)
• Bookend/Ladder combination (Example: 12345123)
• Low Serial Number/Ladder combination (Example: 00001234)
• Repeater/Doubles combination (Example: 33663366)
• Ladder/Doubles combination (Example: 11223344)
• Birthday/Repeater combination (Example: 19701970)
  

Bookend/Radar/Binary/Low Serial Number Combination!

If you've enjoyed my guide, I bet that you won't spend another dollar until after you have checked it’s serial number to see you might have a fancy bank note! Good luck!

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