Currency: What To Look For?

Get Arthur and Ira Friedberg's book "United States Paper Money". see...

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-United-...72277&sr=8-1


If you are looking to pull notes from general circulation, then your best bet at finding "collectible" currency lies in the realm of the serial numbers. Numbers that have a "pattern" have more value than random numbers. Some examples of these "fancy" serial numbers:

45677654 or 15344351 (radar notes)...notice that the first four digits and last four are "mirror images." Any radar note is collectible.

23452345 or 75387538 (a repeater note)...the first four digits and last four are identical. Repeaters are also collectible.

33333333 (or any other set of eight repeated digits.)

22446688 or other similar combinations...

00000--- (the more zeros at the front of the serial number, the lower the number, and the more collectible.) The quest, of course, is to find 00000001 in crisp, uncirculated condition!

12345678 (if you can find one of these "perfect sequences" you've got a collectible note.)

Star notes... will have a seven digit serial number with a "*" replacing the eighth digit. Star notes are printed to replace notes in the normal run that were somehow damaged. They usually make up less than 10% of the total print run and sometimes less than 1%. The lower the percentage, the scarcer the note, the more collectible it is.

As with coins, uncirculated notes are more valuable than circulated ones. Notes that are torn, have holes, are folded, creased, spindled and/or mutilated have lower values.

There are other collectibles floating around out there... I'm sure someone will come along with a more complete list. :o)

Oh...almost forgot to add...sometimes you get four or five crisp new notes in change; if the serial numbers are consecutive, the bills, if kept together, will likely carry a small premium at some point in the future. If one of the serial numbers is "fancy" then they will definitely carry a premium.

Store your notes flat in a dry, protected place. The plastic sleeves that are made for currency are excellent for protecting notes.

red seals are referred to as legal tender notes dont forget collecting blocks OF NOTES
A-1
B-2
C-3
D-4
E-5
F-6
G-7
H-8
I-9
J-10
K-11
L-12
error notes, large size notes 1861-1929,sheets, and some people collect plate numbers. if the front and back plate numbers match they keep them

I see hunter20ga has clearly outlined most of the notes to look for!