Paper Money Serial Number Checker

Which patterns collectors actually look for

Serial number collectors focus on a short list. Very low numbers, especially under 00000100. Solids, where every digit is the same. True ladders such as 12345678. Radars, which read the same forward and backward. Repeaters, where the first four digits repeat. Super repeaters, such as 12121212. Binaries made only of 0 and 1 sit near the top of the list too.

Plenty of other patterns are fun but rarely carry a premium: birthdays, years, trinaries and near-misses. The checker tells you which group your number falls into so you know whether to look further.

Star notes and why the run size matters

A star in the serial number means the note is a replacement. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing replaces misprinted sheets with star sheets and the size of each star print run varies widely. A star note from a run of a few hundred thousand notes is far scarcer than one from a run of several million and that difference drives most of the interest in modern star notes.

To judge a modern star note, note the series year, the Federal Reserve district letter and the serial, then look up the run size in a star note reference. Older star notes, such as silver certificates, are judged by series and condition instead.

Condition still decides the value

A fancy number on a worn, folded note is a curiosity. The same number on a crisp, uncirculated note is what collectors pay for. Keep a promising note flat in a Mylar sleeve, don't fold it, clean it or press it and handle it by the edges. Folds, stains and pinholes count against it in grading just as they would for any other note.

The checker reads the eight digits only, so it works for any US note: Federal Reserve notes, silver certificates and red seal notes alike. It runs entirely in your browser and the number you type is not sent anywhere.

Frequently asked questions