You could literally be sitting on a fortune right now and not even be aware of it.
The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing has apparently printed more than 6.4 million pairs of $1 with errors. All of these $1 bills have identical twin bills with the exact same serial number.
If you have one of these erroneously printed $1 bills, a rare currency collector could potentially pay you up to $150,000 for it.
How it happened
The way the story goes a request for the printing of $1 bills featuring the same serial numbers, was submitted to a Washington D.C.-based U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing facility in 2014 and to a Fort Worth, Texas facility.
Since every paper currency must have its own distinct serial number, there are millions of $1 bills in circulation that share a serial number with another.
By the time the printing mistake was discovered, all 6.4 million $1 bills were in public circulation.
Even though there are more than 6.4 million of these $1 paper notes out there, only nine pairs of these matching $1 bills have been found.
How to spot one
Here is how to identify one of these erroneously printed $1 bills.
Look at the “Series” date. You will find it near the photo of George Washington on the front face of the bill. It should read “Series 2013.”
Look above the serial number. There should be a “B” Federal Reserve Seal letter above it.
The serial number ends with a small star-like symbol. The serial number in question falls in between these serial number ranges:
- B00000001* to B00250000*
- B03200001* to B09600000*
What to do if you find one?
You could contact the Zegers/Winograd Project. The site is dedicated to identifying every one of the misprinted bills and facilitating connections between the error-print $1 bill owners and collectors willing to pay for them.
You could also contact a collectibles expert or lawyer on your own.
Instant riches?
While everyone dreams of acquiring an instant fortune, it doesn’t happen often.
In this circumstance, ask yourself how often you have $1 bills in your wallet or purse. Now ask yourself how often you check the serial number like a detective.
The odds of you encountering one of these bills, or even a matching pair with the same serial information, is astronomical.
Yes, there are reportedly 6.4 million of these error-printed $1 bills. Unfortunately, there are about 39 billion individual $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes in public circulation at any given time.
Good luck.
