Old paper money is the easiest thing in the shop to undervalue, because condition drives it far harder than age does, and because most of it looks unremarkable folded up in a drawer.
A worn 1935 silver certificate is worth a little over face. A crisp one with the right serial number can be worth a great deal more. To most people the two notes look much the same.
What we look for
- Series and signatures — the year printed on a note is not always the year it was made, and signature combinations matter
- Seal color — blue, red, brown, gold and green all tell you something different about what the note is
- Star notes — a star at the end of the serial means it replaced a misprint, and those are scarcer
- Serial numbers — very low, very round or repeating numbers carry a premium of their own
- Condition — folds, pinholes, rounded corners and washing all count, and crisp uncirculated is a different market entirely
What we buy
- Large-size notes, the ones people call horseblankets, printed before 1928
- Silver certificates and gold certificates
- Red seal United States notes and legal tender issues
- National bank notes, especially Arizona and other Western territorial issues
- Obsolete and Confederate currency
- High denominations — $500 and $1,000 bills and above
- Military payment certificates and world banknotes
Pressing a note, repairing a tear with tape, or cleaning it will cost you more value than the improvement is worth. Bring notes exactly as they are, and try not to fold them any further than they already have been.
How the evaluation works
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We sort by type
Notes get grouped by series and issue, because a stack that looks identical usually is not. This is where the silver certificates separate themselves from ordinary bills.
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We examine each note properly
Under raking light on a clean surface, checking for folds, pinholes, repairs and trimming. You are welcome to watch over our shoulder while we do it.
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We grade and price
Against current catalog values and recent sales for that series in that condition. You get the grading notes as we go, so you know why a note landed where it did.
Common questions
Is my old $2 bill worth anything?
Usually about two dollars, honestly. The 1976 bicentennial notes were saved by the millions. Older two-dollar notes with red or brown seals are a different story, so bring it in and we will check.
I have a box of foreign notes from traveling
Worth a look. Most of it is modest, but older European, Asian, and Latin American notes occasionally turn up something good.
My note is torn. Is it worthless?
Not necessarily. A rare enough note is collectible in almost any condition. Common notes with damage generally are not.
Should I get notes graded?
For high-value notes it is often worth it, and we can handle the submission. For most of what comes across the counter it costs more than it adds.