The US Federal Reserve requires that all US currency made after 1914 remain “legal tender”. This means that if you have any old US currency bills, they're still worth their face value, at a minimum. In other words, a $5 bill is still worth $5 – whether it was made in 1944 or 2024.
Federal Reserve notes have no intrinsic value—they have value only in exchange. People accept these notes because they are confident this money will be honored for all purchases.
You might get $3,800 or more for an 1869 note. More recently, the USCA lists a value of $500 on certain uncirculated $2 bills from 1995. If you have a $2 bill from the 2003 premium Federal Reserve set of 12, you could get $700 or more. Most $2 bills in circulation are worth exactly that: $2.
Federal Reserve Notes are legal tender, with the words "this note is legal tender for all debts, public and private" printed on each note.
They shall be redeemed in lawful money on demand at the Treasury Department of the United States, in the city of Washington, District of Columbia, or at any Federal Reserve bank.
Under a program initiated in 1981, the BEP purchases Federal Reserve notes from Reserve Banks for sale to the public. The currency is sold in uncut sheets of 16 and 32 notes, over-the-counter and by mail, to meet demands for souvenirs of visits to the BEP and for paper money collections.
According to the USCA, if the bill was minted and printed before 1976, it could actually be worth its highest value – as much as $4,500 or more for uncirculated notes from 1890.
Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," states: "United States coins and currency [including Federal Reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal Reserve Banks and national banks] are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes and dues."
Typically a 1953 red seal in this condition would be worth $5-10. However due to being a star note, I would value it around $15-25. You probably know this, but star notes were issued to replace bills that were damaged in production. It is only a small percentage that are replaced.
In the broadest sense, a treasury note is a loan from the public to the government (induced by, among other things, interest payments). And the amount of the loan is written on the note. A Federal Reserve note is a treasury note (see above) issued by one of the 12 (or 13?)
Hire a professional appraiser to grade your coins and tell you how much it is worth. The American Society of Appraisers and International Society of Appraisers have searchable directories of professional appraisers. A dealer might also be able to help.
Federal Reserve Indicators
For denominations $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100, the note has a letter and number designation that corresponds to one of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks. The letter of each indicator matches the second letter of the serial number on the note.
You can tell if your dollar bills are worth money by checking your bill's serial number. Low, high, repeating, solid, consecutive, doubles, and stars in serial numbers are a few details to look out for when determining if your dollar bills are more valuable than their face value.
Most 1990 $20 bills are just worth their face value.
The 1976 $2 in about uncirculated condition would sell for $2 to $3. Easily available note. The 1957 silver certificate in more circulated condition sells for $3 to $5.
Whenever any Federal Reserve bank notes or Federal Reserve notes are presented to the Treasurer of the United States for redemption and such notes cannot be identified as to the bank of issue or the bank through which issued, the Treasurer of the United States may redeem such notes under such rules and regulations as ...
Most 1985 series $100 star notes are worth around $200 in extremely fine condition. In uncirculated condition the value is around $425 for notes with an MS 63 grade. Star notes issued from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York are more valuable. Each note is worth around $300 in extremely fine condition.
No, you do not have to trade in your old-design notes for new ones. All U.S. currency remains legal tender, regardless of when it was issued.
If your $2 bill dates back to 1886 and has a red seal with a silver certificate, you're in luck. That bill is worth $4,500. A number of other iterations of the $2 bills with a red seal can also fetch well over a $1,000. Bills with brown seals are also very valuable.
Despite the difference between the A and non-A, both notes are equally common and worth the same amount of money in all grades. You can buy a circulated 1963 red seal two dollar bill any day of the week for around $3. A star note from 1963 will cost you closer to $5 if it is in average condition.
Most circulated Federal Reserve Notes from more modern series are worth no more than face value. Some of the early series notes (1928 and 1934) do carry a small premium, although for circulated notes this premium is small, usually 10% to 30%.
What Is a Federal Reserve Note? A Federal Reserve note is a term to describe the paper demand liabilities of the Federal Reserve, commonly referred to as "dollar bills," which circulate in the U.S. as legal tender. For practical purposes, the Federal Reserve note is the monetary unit of the U.S. economy.
You can hold a Treasury marketable security until it matures or sell it before it matures. To sell a Treasury marketable security, you must work through a bank, broker, or dealer.