Inherited a paper money collection? Here's what it's worth.
Most old banknotes are worth their face value or a small premium. The exceptions — early large-size notes, certain star notes, and anything genuinely uncirculated — can be worth a great deal, and they look unremarkable to an untrained eye.
- Do not flatten, iron or press folded notes.Pressing is detectable and treated as alteration. A genuinely creased note is worth more than an obviously pressed one.
- Do not repair tears with tape.Tape residue is permanent and cuts value far more than the original tear.
- Do not spend old notes at face value without checking.Silver certificates and star notes circulate at face value and are regularly spent by people who did not know what they had.
What actually decides the value
- ·Series year and the signatures, which together identify the issue
- ·Star notes — a star replacing the last letter of the serial number
- ·Large-size notes (pre-1928), which are physically bigger and consistently more valuable
- ·Silver certificates and gold certificates, identifiable by the seal colour
- ·Crispness, and whether the note has ever been folded
How to photograph it
- ·Both sides, flat, filling the frame
- ·The serial number readable — star notes are identified there
- ·Do not flatten a folded note to photograph it
Five photographs · free · no account
Common questions
Is a paper money collection worth anything?+
Most old banknotes are worth their face value or a small premium. The exceptions — early large-size notes, certain star notes, and anything genuinely uncirculated — can be worth a great deal, and they look unremarkable to an untrained eye.
What should I not do with a paper money collection?+
Do not flatten, iron or press folded notes. Pressing is detectable and treated as alteration. A genuinely creased note is worth more than an obviously pressed one. Do not repair tears with tape. Tape residue is permanent and cuts value far more than the original tear. Do not spend old notes at face value without checking. Silver certificates and star notes circulate at face value and are regularly spent by people who did not know what they had.
What makes paper money valuable?+
Mostly these: Series year and the signatures, which together identify the issue; Star notes — a star replacing the last letter of the serial number; Large-size notes (pre-1928), which are physically bigger and consistently more valuable; Silver certificates and gold certificates, identifiable by the seal colour.
How do I find out what mine is worth?+
Photograph it and we'll examine it. Five photographs are free. A full report is $39, covers up to 200 photographs, and we never buy or sell anything — so we have no reason to tell you it's worth less than it is.