Pull any bill out of your wallet.

See the dark green numbers on the top-left and top-right corners?

Those are serial numbers, and some are more rare than others.

A puzzle of money.

In fact, collectors are often willing to pay big bucks hundreds or eventhousandsof dollars for rare paper money.

Who knows what your $100 bill could actually be worth in the eyes of a collector?

There are also people who use paper money serial numbers to gamble with in a game called liars poker.

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Instead of using cards, players take bets on the value and quantity of various digits within serial numbers..

There are more ways you could make the quick cash you need.

Check out some of our favorite ways below.

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What Are Serial Numbers?

Serial numbers are eight-digit-long codes that are unique to each bill.

They are found on the front of U.S. currency and are always printed twice.

you’re able to check on a bill you have at home to see how these match up.

Paper bills are great historical marker documents.

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Silver Certificatesare bills issued between 1878 and 1964 in denominations ranging from $1 to $1,000.

Gold Certificatesare bills issued between 1863 and 1933 in denominations ranging from $10 to $10,000.

Confederate Issuesare bills issued during the Civil War (1861-1865).

They are typically not sought by collectors.

Federal Reserve Notesare bills issued between 1914 and the present in denominations ranging from $1 to $10,000.

The worth of a modern bill depends on its serial number and how unusual it is.

Collectors look for several different types of fancy serial numbers that stand out from the crowd.

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(Inflation, amiright?)

That doesnt mean you have to let your debt run your life.

15 Types of Valuable Serial Numbers

Want to find out your paper money value by serial numbers?

OneBay, these kinds of bills can sell for anywhere from $10 to $300.

Bills marked with 99999900 and higher are especially prized.

Flippers

Aflipperis a note whose number can be read right side up or upside down, such as 0069000.

On eBay,flippers costa few bucks up to several hundred dollars.

Star Notes

Some bills have a star instead of a letter at the end of their serial number.

Known as star notes, these bills are replacements issued when the original bill had a printing error.

These printing errors arent common, so there arent many star notes in circulation.

Youll usually see $1 star notes on eBay for $2.99 and up.

A two-digit repeating number, like 45454545, is called a super repeater and is even more valuable.

Some eBay listings start at a few hundred dollars.

Solids and Near Solids

A solid serial number is one where every digit is the same, like 55555555.

Some super-rare ones are listed on eBay for thousands of dollars!

These will usually bring in less money than a solid, but youre more likely to find one.

Binary Bills

Binary bills have serial numbers with only two numbers, such as 29299299.

A near solid would count as one of these binary notes, since it only includes two numbers.

Ladders

When the serial number ascends (e.g.

  1. or descends (e.g.

  2. in order, collectors call it a ladder.

Youll also find near ladders where one or two digits break up the ladder.

Ladder notes sell for anywhere from $9on eBayto as much as$10,000.

For example, 02162006 might be valuable to a collector whose child was born Feb. 16, 2006.

A serial number that just includes the year is also desirable, such as 10901985 or 10002010.

Radars and Super Radars

A radar serial number reads the same backwards and forwards, like a palindrome.

For example, 06288260.

A good condition, uncirculated $1 radar could sell forabout $25 or even more than $100.

Consecutives can sell on eBay for as little as a few dollars or as much as a few hundred.

Doubles

Doubles occur when a serial number includes pairs of numbers, such as 24459387.

(Confusing, isnt it?)

For example, 77776666 is a double quad.

These bills are rarer and more valuable.

Three-number bookends, like 36584365, are more valuable than two-digit bookends, like 36829736.

Prices start around $3 for a $1 bookend oneBay.

Need a Hand With Bills?

Listen, we know its tough out there.

But theres no shame in asking for help.

These companiesmake it easy to help yourself and your bank account.

To test it out, we looked up the number on a random $5 bill atMyCurrencyCollection.com.

Once you bang out in the bills eight-digit number, itll assign it a percentage on the Coolness Index.

This index is created byCoolNumbers.comusing a formula that evaluates numbers according to their interesting properties.

Our $5 bill was 89.9% cool, or almost cool, according to the website.

The easiest option is to list your note on eBay.

Search to find listings with similar paper money value by serial numbers.

Then, list yours in the same ballpark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions about your paper money and what it might be worth?

These frequently asked questions should help.

If the number is unique or has a star after it, it could be valuable.

See 15 Types of Valuable Serial Numbers and How to Look Up Serial Numbers above.

See the How to Look Up Serial Numbers section above.

Maryann Akinboyewaand Catherine Hiles are contributors to The Penny Hoarder.

Senior staff writer Robert Bruce and contributor Kent McDill also contributed.