Q: What does the series, date or year represent on US currency?

A:  The series or year printed on US currency designates when that denomination of bill was designed or authorized, not when it was printed.  This is different than coins.  The date on coins is the year they were minted.  On paper currency, the series year changes only when the bill is redesigned.  For example, when the $20 bill was redesigned to add "colorization" in 2004, the series changed to 2004.  If a slight change is made to a note -- for example, a change in signature when the Secretary of the Treasury changes -- the year remains the same and a letter is added to show that the design differs slightly from previous printings.  An A suffix, for example, as "Series 2003A," means the original design of 2003 has been changed slightly one time.  If the suffix is a B, it means the original design has changed slightly two times, etc.

Q:  I'm looking for a $1 bill with a year of 2005. Why can't I find one?

A:  The same series year is often used for more than one year. For instance, a series 2003 $1 bill was introduced in 2003. The $1 series year didn't change again until 2006. There are no $1 bills with a year of 2004 or 2005.

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