12 of the Most Valuable $1 Bills Still in Circulation
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Daria Uhlig
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One interesting thing about money is that although paper notes usually have a higher currency value than coins, you’ll make a lot more money from coins on the collectibles market. The most valuable banknotes are nearly all worth less than $100,000, according to Banknote World. In contrast, the most valuable coins can command $3 million or more. If you have a rare $1 bill, you can only expect it to fetch a few thousand dollars.
The U.S. government issued the first $1 bill in 1862, CoinValueLookup noted. That debut note featured a portrait of Salmon Chase, Abraham Lincoln’s Treasury Secretary. Since then, the $1 bill has gone through numerous changes — including in 1869, when George Washington first appeared on the note.
Another change took place in 1929, when the size of paper bills was reduced from large notes to the current smaller-sized notes. The modern design dates to 1963, when the U.S. Treasury issued the $1 bill as a Federal Reserve note to replace the previous silver certificates.
One other fun fact about $1 bills: They were the first U.S. currency to feature the motto, “In God We Trust.”
Highly Valuable $1 Bills To Look Out For
Here’s a look at 12 of the most valuable $1 bills, according to CoinValueLookup. The estimates listed are high-end prices only paid for bills in top condition and that contain certain features.
- 1890 $1 Treasury Note: $1,000
- 1928 $1 Bill: $1,000
- 1923 $1 Bill: $1,000
- 1917 $1 Legal Tender Note: $1,150
- 1899 $1 Silver Certificate: $1,500
- 1896 $1 Silver Certificates: $2,000
- 1886 $1 United States Note: $2,500
- 1869 $1 United States Note: $2,500
- 1875 $1 National Bank Note: $3,000
- 1878 $1 Silver Certificates: $4,500
- 1862 $1 United States Note: $7,000
- 1874 $1 United States Note: $10,000
The most valuable $1 bills won’t make you wealthy the way a valuable coin worth many millions of dollars will, but you can still earn a nice piece of change — or, more precisely, a nice stack of bills.
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