What Are Some Rare Dollar Bills You Must Collect?

Many people collect rare dollar bills for different reasons. Most collect as a hobby. Of course, the dollar bill currency has its face value. But, the collectors collect the dollar bills for the aesthetic, the art, the design, and the antique value they possess. 

Most of the older U.S. currencies had intricate designs for different reasons to prevent counterfeiting. 

Most dollar bills are rare because of their historical and cultural significance. The collectors usually collect the dollar bills based on their antique value, historical significance, etc. 

I have listed some of the most popular dollar bills in this article. These include the $2 bill, the $500 dollar bill, and the Confederate dollar bill. Could you keep reading to learn about them? 

1. Rare Dollar Bills: The $2 Bill

The $2 bill is the first on our list of rare dollar bills. The $2 bill was printed back in 1862 and initially featured the picture of Alexander Hamilton. But, later, the Dollar bill was changed with the picture of Thomas Jefferson.

The dollar bill has aesthetics worth cherishing. The opposite side of the dollar bill has a recreation of the famous American historical painting, the “Declaration of Independence” by John Trumbull.

This rare dollar bill has been printed since the Civil War in the U.S. They were only halted for a decade, which was between 1966 and 1976. But it is still the rarest among the rare dollar bills in the U.S. 

Also, the cash register does not have a slot for the $2 dollar bill. This rare dollar bill still gets recognized by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing as legal tender and remains the rarest currency denomination in the country. 

2. Rare Dollar Bills: The $500 Bill

The U.S. Treasury minted different versions of the $500 dollar bills, and they started off in 1945. But the dollar bill was formally discontinued after 24 years. The $500 featured a portrait of the former U.S. president William McKinley and had beautiful aesthetics. 

Although it remains a legal tender, the dollar bills are limited to the hands of collectors and dealers. If you want to purchase one, you have to pay twice the face value. They should be available on eBay. 

3. Rare Dollar Bills: The $1000 Bill

Initially, the $1000 bill had Alexander Hamilton at the front of the dollar bill. But, later, to avoid confusion, they had to change it. The Treasury did not want the portrait of the former Secretary of the Treasury on different currency denominations. So, they brought in the 22nd and the 24th president of the country – Grover Cleveland.

Like the $500 dollar bill, the $1000 was also discontinued in 1969. Compared to that time period, both the $500 and $1000 bills would have made more sense now. The reason for their discontinuation is inflation. Back in 1969, the CPI (Consumer Price Index) was 36.8. Also, the CPI stands at 303.8 in 2023. You need a $1000 bill in today’s time to pay for what you could have gotten for a little more than $100 back in 1969.

4. Rare Star Note Dollar Bills

Star notes are among the rare dollar bills in the U.S., commonly referred to as the Replacement Notes. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing uses these notes to replace misprinted or damaged currencies. The replacement happens before the currencies go into circulation. 

The modern replacement currencies look like the paper money in circulation. But the only difference is that a star is printed at the serial number’s end instead of a letter.

The rarity of the Star Notes depends on the number of notes printed and released into circulation. 

However, the collectors usually consider Star Notes from a print run of 640,000 notes. It could even be less than that. However, it is rare to be worth more than the face value of the dollar bill. 

5. Confederate Dollar Bills 

The Confederate Dollar, an abbreviation of the Confederate States of America dollar, is one of the rarest dollar bills. These were the currencies issued by the Confederate States of America. 

The notes started to be circulated before the american Civil War started. They were used for financing the Civil War. the notes also have another name called “greyback.” this name takes after the color of the uniform the U.S. Confederate soldiers wore. The first of the Confederate Dollar Bills was issued in April 1861.

Some of the Confederate dollar bills are available for purchase on eBay. They are quite rare, given their price compared to the face value. At the time of writing this article, a $50 Confederate dollar bill cost $596.70 on eBay, while a $10 bill cost $220.00.

6. Ladder Dollar Bills

A ladder dollar bill is also an exceptional dollar bill and is among the rare ones. This type of dollar bill has a serial number that follows the standard numerical order. Usually, the number starts at one and ends at 8. If you have a perfect ladder dollar bill, then it would have a numbering of 12345678. There are different variations of the rare ladder dollar bills. 

Some of them would be – 00123456, 034567. Since they are quite rare, they are also quite pricy. Only one ladder dollar bill gets printed among 96 million prints. Thanks to its rarity, hobbyists and collectors make this note the most sought-after. Note. 

However, Specimen notes, even with a perfect numerical order of 12345678 or 234567890, wouldn’t be considered as a 

Final Words

There are other rare dollar bills as well. The binary dollar bills have a serial number with a combination of 1 and zero. The double quad serial numbers have the same numbers in the first four digits of the serial number. Some bills would have seven of the same numbers on the dollar bill. More factors, such as the sharpness of the dollar bill’s paper or the detail, influence its cost. 

Are you a collector yourself? Which of the rare dollar bills would you collect as a collector? Do you, by chance, already possess any of the dollar bills mentioned here? Let us know through the comment section below. Thank you for reading.

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