What Does a Dollar Bill Serial Number Mean?
Every U.S. dollar bill has a unique serial number that encodes where it was printed, the production run it belongs to, and whether it's a rare replacement note called a star note. TrackTheDollar's free serial number lookup tool decodes any U.S. Federal Reserve Note in seconds.
U.S. dollar bill serial numbers follow a strict format set by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). The first letter identifies one of the 12 Federal Reserve Bank districts — A for Boston, B for New York, all the way to L for San Francisco. The eight digits that follow are the sequential production number, and the final letter (or ★ star symbol) indicates the printing block. Bills ending in ★ are called star notes — replacement bills printed when a regular note is damaged during production. Star notes are significantly rarer than regular bills and are highly sought after by collectors.
? Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find the serial number on a dollar bill?
The serial number appears twice on the face of the bill — once on the left side and once on the right. It consists of a letter, 8 digits, and another letter (or ★ for star notes). On $1 bills it's green; on larger denominations it may be in other colors.
What is a star note dollar bill?
A star note is a replacement bill printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing when a regular note is damaged during the printing process. Star notes have a ★ symbol at the end of their serial number instead of a letter. They are rarer than regular bills and are collected as a hobby.
What makes a dollar bill serial number rare or valuable?
Collectors prize 'fancy' serial numbers — these include solid notes (all same digit, e.g., 11111111), radar notes (palindromes), repeater notes (first 4 digits repeat in last 4), ladder notes (12345678 or 87654321), and low serial numbers (below 100). The rarer the pattern, the higher the collector premium.
Which Federal Reserve Bank issued my dollar bill?
The first letter of your serial number identifies the issuing Federal Reserve Bank: A=Boston, B=New York, C=Philadelphia, D=Cleveland, E=Richmond, F=Atlanta, G=Chicago, H=St. Louis, I=Minneapolis, J=Kansas City, K=Dallas, L=San Francisco.
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