Mistakes are usually synonymous with costs but in this rare instance, a mistake could earn you hundreds of thousands of dollars and all you need is a simple one dollar bill. Granted it is not as simple as that, but the shocking value of certain $1 bills will seriously amaze you. It turns out that money can indeed be worth much, much more than the number printed on it.
An easy to miss print error could be your get rich quick scheme
Think twice before spending your $1 bills from now on, it could very well be your winning jackpot ticket. There are certain versions of the one dollar bill that has a particular printing error and currency collectors in the United States are prepared to spend up to $150,000 to obtain one of these special notes.
According to Wealthy Nickel, some dollar bills printed between 2014 and 2016 feature a mistake from the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing. It is truly mind boggling how something as seemingly insignificant as a misprint could cause the value of a piece of paper to skyrocket from being worth $1 to $150,000.
How many of these lucky bills are in circulation?
There exists a total of 6.4 million banknotes that were printed with the error between 2014 and 206, according to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. One batch was issued by the federal bank in New York and another batch was issued in Washington D.C.
Although these banknotes started out in two states, with the rapid speed at which trade occurs, they could be quite literally anywhere in the world now. Be sure to double check your banknotes the next time you stop for a soda or snack somewhere, it could fully change your life.
How easily identifiable are these $1 bills?
Here are the details to look out for the next time you pull out a dollar bill, according to Wealthy Nickel:
- The Series date located on the far right of the photograph of George Washington must read “Series 2013”
- The bill has a “B” Federal Reserve Seal above the serial number located to the right of Washington’s photo
- The serial number ends with a star (★) and fall between B00000001★ – B00250000★ or B03200001★-B09600000★
If you are lucky enough to be in possession of a bill that fits the above characteristics, you now have to find the other note from the matching pair with the identical serial number.
Millions of these bills are still in circulation, and only nine pairs with matchings serial numbers have been found so far. This means your chances of finding a pair are still pretty attainable.
Depending on its condition, a matching pair could fetch you between $20,000 and $150,000. If you believe you have found a matching pair, you should not waste any time and get it to a local coin shop for inspection and appraisal.
The value of these notes are so high because, according to The American Numismatic Association, a congressionally chartered nonprofit dedicated to the study and collection of bills and coins, currency misprints are extremely rare, making them extremely valuable among collectors.
These misprint bills are not the only dollar bills worth thousands of dollars. The Hawaiian Emergency Bill carries a value of approximately $200,000 as well. Printed for Hawaii, amidst World War II, these specialized bills feature the word “Hawaii” embossed on both sides of the note. These notes came into circulation as a precautionary measure during war times. The notes were printed as a measure to prevent the invading Japanese forces from using American currency.
Aside from being worth such large amounts of money, these rare banknotes also hold a story of history from the era during which they were printed.