Very little is as awesome as holding the winning number in
your hot little hands, whether you’ve purchased the fateful lottery ticket or
your number was just called at the deli. (Wait, am I the only person who gets
excited by that? What can I say; I like to celebrate the small wins.) However,
you may be sitting on a winning number of another kind without even realizing
it. What am I talking about?
Check
Your Dollar Bills
Specifically, dollar bills with strange serial numbers —
ones that aren’t easy to come by. The collectors at CoolSerialNumbers.com have
created a list of their most-wanted serial numbers, and you might have a bill
with one of these sequences on it in your wallet. Turns out antique coins
aren’t the only currency worth cash to collectors. Check out the full list to
see if you’ve got any of these rare bills, but here’s a rundown of the sort of
serial numbers these collectors are looking for: 7 repeating digits in a row on
$1 Federal Reserve Notes (i.e. 09999999, 77777776) 7 of a kind on $1 Federal
Reserve Notes (i.e. 00010000, 99999099) Super repeaters on $1 Federal Reserve
Notes (i.e. 67676767) Double quads on $1 Federal Reserve Notes (i.e. 00009999)
and more!
Can You
Really Get Rich With Dollar Bills?
Just ask these collectors and experts, who estimate specific
“hot” serial numbers to be worth big bucks: One particularly patriotic
collector is interested in bills with the serial number 07041776 (in honor of
the date of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence). He’s said to be
asking $500 to $1,000 for $2 bills with this serial number. (Why $2 bills? Each
one portrays the historical event.) In the U.K., an eBay seller is reported to
have made £7,100 from the sale of a single 20p coin. When the redesigned $100
bill was released in October 2013, Dustin Johnston, Director of Heritage
Auctions in Dallas, Texas, told the BostonGlobe the very first bill (serial
number00000001) could be worth a whopping $10,000 to $15,000. Go ahead: take a
few minutes to check your wallet, pockets and maybe those couch cushions. If
you think you’ve got a serial number collectors will be interested in, here’s
what to do next:
Show
Them the Money
Depending on the rarity of your bill’s serial number, it
could be worth a crazy amount of money— CoolSerialNumbers.com is currently
selling bills for anywhere from $100 to $2,500+. Contactthe site here to learn
more. And be sure to tell your grandma you want your birthday money in singles
this year. Because, as the New York Lotto says, “Hey, you never know…” Your
Turn: Have you checked your bills for cool serial numbers? THE PENNY HOARDER