Highest Prices Paid for Rare National Banknotes

National banknotes are a type of United States currency printed between 1863 and 1935.  Some are extremely common and worth about $40.  The best 1% of 1% could be worth $10,000 or more.  It all comes down to the type, denomination, condition, and bank of issue.  The owner of Greenville Coins and Currency is recognized as the nation’s leading authority on national banknotes, having studied and specialized in the series for more than 15 years.  Manning has one of the best collections of national currency from South Carolina banks, and he also buys rare and quality notes from all over the country.

If you have money issued by a national bank, even if you think it is nothing special, it is still worth Manning taking a look at it.  There are small differences that could make it more valuable than something else that looks very similar.

A few quick tips to consider:

-Look for a low serial number under the portrait.  That can be a sign that there was a small issuance.
-If you have a series of 1902, the red seals are always better than the blue seals.
-Higher denominations like $50 and $100 national banknotes are always better than $1, $5, $10, and $20s.  The $2 denomination is scarce as well.
-Small town banks are usually better than big city banknotes.
-Condition is always important; the nicer, the better.