• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Your $5 bill in your wallet could be worth thousands if it has these key details

Home> News> Money

Published 13:09 27 Jun 2024 GMT+1

Your $5 bill in your wallet could be worth thousands if it has these key details

You might have totally forgotten about the crumpled bill, but it's worth giving it another look

Emily Brown

Emily Brown

Cash is practically an ancient relic these days, but it turns out the long-forgotten $5 notes you have lying around could actually be worth a lot more than you think.

In a world where you can pay for pretty much everything with a swipe of your card, it can be a bit cumbersome to carry around cash - why do you think people get so excited about dresses with pockets?

It's much easier to slot a card into your phone case, meaning change and small notes can sometimes be left to gather dust on the counter, or live in your wallet until you need to throw someone a small tip.

Advert

But before you do that, it's worth taking a closer look for one specific detail on any notes you have.

There are hundreds of millions of bank notes in circulation right now, but a rare few of them are actually worth hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars.

I'm sure you wouldn't forget about that kind of cash sitting on your counter.

The serial numbers contain all the key information. (Getty Stock Photo)
The serial numbers contain all the key information. (Getty Stock Photo)

Advert

The worth of the bills can be determined by looking at their serial numbers, with GOBankingRates identifying certain numbers which could be worth the big bucks to collectors.

The numbers you're looking for are the ones with 'solid' numbers, for example 'G88888888A' or 'B55555555C'.

They can be found written in dark green numbers on the top-left and top-right corners, and it's the fact that all the numbers in the serial are identical that makes them desirable.

TikToker Shaun, who goes by the handle BlueRidgeSilverHound, gave an example as he showed a $5 bill from 1988 sell for a staggering $2,040 in a Heritage Auction in 2022.

Advert

Collectors could pay thousands for the rare bills. (Getty Stock Photo)
Collectors could pay thousands for the rare bills. (Getty Stock Photo)

But while some of the notes sell for over $2,000 as collectors strive to get their hands on them, you shouldn't start thinking about quitting your job and selling all the $5 notes you can get your hands on just yet.

That's because, according to The Penny Hoarder, only about one in 11 million $5 notes have a solid serial numbers.

Still, with approximately 826 million $5 notes in circulation, they've got to be out there somewhere!

Advert

Plus, it's not just $5 notes you can make money off - 'solid' serial numbers on any bill could be worthwhile to collectors.

If you are lucky enough to come across a bill with a solid serial number, it's recommended that you head to a coin shop to have it professionally appraised so you don't end up selling it for less than it's worth.

Featured Image Credit: Getty/Tetra Images/Getty/Boy_Anupong

Topics: Money, US News

Emily Brown
Emily Brown

Emily Brown is UNILAD Editorial Lead at LADbible Group. She first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route - before graduating with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University. Emily joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features. She went on to become Community Desk Lead, commissioning and writing human interest stories from across the globe, before moving to the role of Editorial Lead. Emily now works alongside the UNILAD Editor to ensure the page delivers accurate, interesting and high quality content.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

10 hours ago
11 hours ago
  • 10 hours ago

    'Fridge cigarette' trend explained as Gen Z ditches traditional smoke breaks

    The new trend is taking TikTok by storm

    News
  • 10 hours ago

    Doctor reveals what you should never do in bed as he explains best way to beat insomnia

    Dr. Matthew Walker has offered some tips to curb insomnia and scrub up on your bedtime habits

    News
  • 10 hours ago

    FBI issues urgent warning to 150,000,000 US iPhone users to delete this text as soon as it appears

    Attacks on iPhones and Androids have surged more than 700 percent this month

    News
  • 11 hours ago

    Surprising meaning behind people who keep waking up at the same time every night

    It's surprisingly common

    News
  • Experts claim eating just a quarter of these 5 foods daily could increase your dementia risk
  • People break down the 5 symptoms you should never ignore that could be a sign of deadly cancer
  • Trump announces plans to give $1,000 to everyone born between these set years
  • How to spot rare dollar bills which could be sitting in your pocket and worth up to $150,000