A man is amazed after learning a rare $5 bill he discovered could “skyrocket” in price.
Justin Rivera (r/Jupidness), 24, shared his finding on Reddit. He made the discovery with his wife who pulled out the bill to make an offering at their Bible study session.
“I thought it was super cool and had never seen anything like it, so she gave me a different $5 bill, and I kept the offset one,” Rivera, from Michigan, told Newsweek.
The note, featuring a wide left margin and no right margin, quickly became the subject of discussion after Rivera posted a photo on Reddit’s r/mildlyinteresting thread. The image garnered more than 21,000 upvotes, with users speculating about the origins and value of the peculiar bill.
Jesse Kraft, assistant curator at the American Numismatic Society, told Newsweek about the peculiarity of the note and its worth. He said the value could increase, though he was skeptical over how much.
“All something needs for its value to skyrocket is two individuals with deep pockets who both want it,” Kraft said.
Rivera replied to Kraft’s evaluation: “Honestly, it’s amazing to me! Money holds the value of whatever it says on the face of it. The potential of the $5 bill having a higher value than $5 is mind-blowing to me. I appreciate the insight, and I won’t be spending it.”
What Makes It Unique?
Rivera’s $5 bill is an example of a misalignment error. According to Kraft, the bill’s value is likely limited, despite its interesting appearance.
“The $5 bill in the image you provided is not normal, but not terribly valuable either. The error in this note is called a misalignment error, but not by a lot,” Kraft said. “Value does not really start increasing on these until the design is so far off-center that you begin to see the design of another note as well.”
Rivera’s $5 bill. Kraft described the bill as a “cool little oddity” but was sceptical over its value.
Justin Rivera/Justin Rivera
However, this bill does have an additional rare feature. Kraft said: “The note is a replacement note, indicated by a star at the end of the serial number. This means it was printed to replace another note with significant errors or that was damaged. Although it’s a cool find, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing or the Federal Reserve didn’t consider the anomaly significant enough to pull it from circulation.”
Despite this, value is subjective. Kraft added. “Condition also plays a role, and since this note has some folds and creases, it won’t fetch the value of a perfectly crisp bill.”
However, Kraft said the bill was a “cool little oddity”, and he would keep it regardless of whether it was worth a lot.
What Should a Normal $5 Bill Look Like?
To compare, a normal $5 bill has distinct features for security and design consistency. These include watermarks, subtle color-shifting ink, and a uniform layout of serial numbers and seals on both sides of the note.
A typical U.S. $5 bill features a portrait of President Abraham Lincoln on the front. He is depicted in the center, with a large purple numeral “5” in the lower-right corner, which changes color depending on the angle.
The serial numbers appear in green ink on both the upper-left and lower-right corners. To the right of Lincoln is the U.S. Department of the Treasury seal, also in green.
The back of the $5 bill showcases an image of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. The number “5” is printed in large font in each corner, and there is a subtle background of purple and gray. The phrase “In God We Trust” is displayed prominently above the Lincoln Memorial.
Understanding the Serial Numbers and Stars
Rivera was particularly intrigued by the star next to the bill’s serial number, which commenters said is a mark for replacement notes, or star notes.
In the U.S. currency system, each bill has a unique serial number that corresponds to its series year.
According to the U.S. Currency Education Program, a star suffix in the serial number indicates that the note replaced another with errors or defects. As they cannot duplicate serial numbers, the U.S. Treasury starts the replacement note sequence with 00000001*.
Reddit Reacts
Rivera’s post on Reddit prompted a flood of reactions.
“You just got yourself a generational heirloom,” wrote user abuzar_sid. “Years from now, it will be worth something, and you can sell it to coin collectors or pass it down to your family.”
Another user, Sohn_Jalston_Raul, added: “The better condition you keep it in, the more value it will have. Keep it in some sort of plastic liner and away from sunlight.”
Others, however, were more skeptical about the bill’s potential value. User sublliminali commented: “How could it be that valuable? If you bought an uncut sheet of $5’s you could easily offset cut it like this.”
Yet, some remained hopeful, like Resticon, who noted the rarity of the combination of errors: “Still some possibility since it’s a starred (*) miscut immediately following a misprint. Not saying it’ll buy them a new car but it’s definitely not something you see too often.”
Rivera’s Plans
For now, Rivera plans to protect and preserve the bill. “The bill being offset and having a star note makes it super cool because it’s a messed-up bill for a messed-up bill, if you know what I mean,” he said.
He added that he intends to continue researching its value and, if he can’t sell it, hopes to pass it on to his future kids as a unique family heirloom.
“I plan on keeping it protected, and seeing what happens. If nothing happens, hey, I still have $5,” Rivera said.
