Q&A about Coins, Currency and Other Numismatic Items

Q&A:  Coins
Q&A:  Paper Money

Society of Paper Money Collectors, "What's it worth?"

Reference Books
For up to date information on coins and currency we recommend that you invest in some basic reference books.
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Questions on coins:
There have been numerous questions on the 1943 cent in recent months - an article from "Numismatic News," March 23, 1999 issue is here. "Learn The Facts, by Alan Hebert."

How much is my 1919 Wheat Penny worth?
Dealers pay anywhere from 1-1/2¢ to 2-1/2¢ each for circulated wheat cents. However, there are some key dates that are worth much more. Consult the "Red Book" A Guide Book of United States coins by R. S. Yeoman at your local library or book store.

How much is my U. S. 1943 Steel Wheat Cent worth?
Probably not very much!  In very good condition about 3¢. In uncirculated condition about $1.25.  If you have a 1943 copper cent, place it against a magnet.  If it is attracted to the magnet, that means it has been copper plated. There are millions of them in circulation.  If the coin is not attracted to the magnet, you may want to take it to a local coin dealer for authentication.

How much is my silver Washington quarter worth?
Most circulated 90% silver coins are treated as bullion silver and are traded as such depending on what the silver market is for that day.  A well circulated silver quarter is worth approximately $1.00 today.

I have a U.S. 10¢ coin that was misstruck. How much is it worth?
There are millions of error coins out there.  Keep in mind that the U. S. Mint produces billions of coins each year.  They have their share of mistakes!  Some errors however, command a pretty good premium since error collectors like to have unusual things.  A dealer would have to examine your coin in order to place a value on it.  Consult "A Guide of United States Coins," R. S. Yeoman.  This book should be available at your local library or book store.

I have some coins my mother saved and don't know if they're worth anything....silver dollars, half dollars, .25 and .10. I am looking for some advice...can you tell me where to start?
You could consult with a local coin dealer. Or you could check out the "Red Book, A Guide to US Coins" by R. S. Yeoman. It's usually available at your local library or book store.

I have a 1776 continental currency coin. Could you tell me more about it? What it would be worth?
There are many copies of this coin around. You should refer to the "Red Book" A Guide to U. S. Coins by R. S. Yeoman which is available at your local library or book store.

What is a dime worth that has the tail side stamped on both sides? I'm not a collector, but this sounds to be pretty rare. It appears to be a copper sandwich coin.
A dealer would have to look at the coin to determine that it is none other than a magician's coin, or novelty piece; it is virtually impossible for a two headed (or two tales) coin to be struck at the mint.

I have a lot of old silver dollars and miscellaneous other coins and some currency that belonged to my father-in-laws aunt. Some dating in the 1800's. I also have a few Susan B. Anthony's and was wondering if they are worth anything. If you could suggest a good  current book or other means of determining what they may be worth I would be very grateful. Thank you. Please see our page on reference books.

Questions on paper money:
9) How much is my $1.00 Silver Certificate worth? Most silver certificates including 1935 and 1957 series are only worth about 25¢ to 50¢ over face value unless in uncirculated condition which will bring about $4.00 per note. Series 1928 $1.00 notes bring anywhere from $6.00 to $60.00 depending on condition. Consult "Bank Note Reporter," Krause Publications, usually available at your local book store.

10) I have a 1929 $5.00 bill which says "Whitney National Bank of New Orleans."  How much is it worth? You have a national currency note. Its worth really depends on its condition.  Anywhere from $40.00 in very good condition to $200.00 in uncirculated condition.  There were many different banks on the National Currency Notes and they vary in price.  The same applies to large size notes.

11) I have a 1976 and 1995 series U. S. $2 Bill.  How much are they worth? Virtually face value if circulated.  They are available at your local bank. I pay $3.50 for crisp uncirculated noted.

12) How much is my 1928 $2 Bill worth? It would depend on a couple of things; i.e. the series and the grade of the note. Series 1928 and 1928B are the better notes. They would range from $40.00 in very good condition to $200.00 in gem uncirculated condition. All other series would be approximately $4.00. Consult Bank Note Reporter for more information.

13) I have a 1953 Series A Note.  How much is it worth? The note in uncirculated condition is worth about $15.00; a circulated note of this type is worth about $8.00

14) I have a 1935 U.S. dollar bill with Hawaii on it. Can you tell me if it is worth something? It really depends on the grade of your note. In good condition, around $20.00 and in uncirculated condition (just like new) around $90.00.

15) I recently came upon a $10 dollar bill that was a bit odd; I   was wondering if you could give me some information. It is a 1950 bill. It does not have "in God we trust", and also has "will pay to the bearer..." on the front of it. The paper is unlike regular money. The feel and texture is different. Any information would be greatly appreciated. The U.S. Government did not put "In God We Trust" on it's currency until the year 1957. Although you will see it appears on some 1935-G series one dollar bills. That's because the 1935-G series notes were still being printed into the year of 1957. You may refer to my site on the "Learn More" page under "Currency: US Treasury currency information."

16) What is Largest denomination ever printed (U.S. currency)?The largest denomination of U. S. Currency ever printed was $100,000.00, 1934 Series. It was only used within the Federal Banking System. The largest denomination for U. S. Currency to be circulated was a $10,000.00 bill. There is also a $5,000.00 bill. Check out the links to various U. S. Currency sites for additional information. You'll find it at: About Numismatics

17) I have $2.00, $5.00, $10.00, $20.00 bills with red on them. What are they and what is their value? I'm familiar with the "U.S. Note" red seals $2 and $5's. The $2 and $5's are extremely common and have a slight premium over face value. I'm not familiar with the $10 or $20 (unless they are the large size notes and I would have to see these notes to determine a value).

18) Do you know any body that can give me an appraisal on a 2 dollar bill dated 1953 with a red stamp on it? About $3.00 or $4.00 if circulated!

19) I have a 2 dollar bill that has a red stamp on it that is dated 1953. I need to know what it is worth and who buys them. Thanks! Your note is worth $3.00 in circulated condition and $10.00 if uncirculated. I also buy them.

20) We have found a one thousand dollar bill dated December 15, 1840. The number is 8894. How do we tell if this is authentic or if there is a value? Sorry to inform you, but the note is a novelty piece. Sometimes they are marked facsimile or copy, but usually not. Look on the back, lower left hand corner. Sometimes they have advertising on the back also. These are extremely common.

21) I have a Confederate 1862 $5.00 bill  & a 1922, 10,000 German Mark  bill and was wondering what the value might be on them. The German note is only worth about 25c in very good condition and $6.00 in crisp uncirculated condition. The 1862 $5 CSA note is worth about $20 in very good condition and about $100 in crisp uncirculated condition.

22) I recently came across a 1934A silver certificate $10.00 bill in good condition. Can you tell me what it might be worth? Your 1934A silver certificate $10 bill is worth approximately $15.00 in very good condition and $75.00 in crisp uncirculated condition.

23) I have a 1934A $20.00 dollar bill. The ink looks different - the green is a paler green, I guess you could say. The white house looks different, not as big before they remolded it and not as many trees are shown, is it worth more than a regular 20? As a rule, these notes have to be crisp uncirculated in order to have any real premium.

24) I am interested in finding out more about bank notes from Germany circa 1910. They are not deutch marks but some other form of German money. I was wondering if you had any information regarding this currency or know of where I can obtain information to discuss this further.  They should be "Reichsbanknote" in denominations of 20-100 marks. They are extremely common and inexpensive. You could check the "Standard Catalog of World Paper Money," Krause Publication available at your public library or local book store.

25) I have $10.00 bills dated 1934 real dark printed from Cincinnati, Ohio. Do these have any special value greater than $10.00? Only if they are crisp uncirculated bills; then they're worth around $20.  Other than that, they are spendable.

26) I have a 1934 D Series $100 FRN and am curious as to its value. I see you have an H series posted for sale but can not read the sale price. If you could respond I would greatly appreciate it. I might be interested in selling this bill and would also like to know the best way to go about selling currency. Thank you. I suspect that you have a small monitor and will need to move or shift your screen to the right in order to see my prices. (There's a bar at the bottom or your window.) Your note is   worth $105 in very good condition and $125 in crisp uncirculated condition.

27) I have a $2 bill series 1928 G serial # E23260312A with a D in the corner, and one that is series 1953 serial # A38136659A with a Q in the corner. Both have red seals on them. What might the value be on these? Thanks for your help. The 1928G is worth $4.00 in very good condition and $20.00 in crisp uncirculated condition. The 1953 is worth $3.50 in very good condition and $8.00 in crisp uncirculated condition.

28) I have a 5 cent military payment certificate series 681. I am curious what it is worth, if anything. Your MPC is worth $1.00 in very fine condition and $6.00 in crisp uncirculated condition.

29) I have a $5.00 Silver Certificate bill which is used (worn but not trashed), 1953 B series and is cut unevenly. The top part of the bill has been cut down to the line that borders around the bill. I would like to know if this could possibly be a collector's item and its value. If your note has not been trimmed, but in fact was cut uneven at the BEP and the reverse was normal, your note would have a small premium. It would have to be uncirculated in order to be really worth anything beyond $10.00.

30) I have a question that I was hoping you'd help me with. In change today, I received a $1.00 bill from the 1995 series. The serial number ends in an * instead of a letter. (J02998053*) Can you tell me why and if it will be worth anything. I have never seen this before. You have a star note! Referred to as such because of the star at the end or beginning of the serial number. Also called a replacement note. This is done to indicate that the original note was destroyed due to some type of error. Older star notes are a collectible item; though newer star notes are collected, they are worth very little over face value and are desired in uncirculated condition.

31) My uncle recently came across some Japanese WWII paper currency he received in the service. Sorry, this is very common and carries very little premium. You can check www.ronscurrency.com and www.collectpapermoney.com for additional information.

32) I possess very old "paper" (The Bank of the United States), dated from 1840 and issued in N.Y. I kindly ask you to explain me what it means and to estimate its value. Well, I am sorry to inform you that your note is a novelty piece and has no value. The   market has been flooded with these things and unfortunately a lot of people have been taken advantage of. As a rule the serial number is #8894.

33) I have two federal reserve notes $10.00 series 1934 from the bank of Philadelphia can you tell me how much they are worth? If the notes have been circulated, they are just spendable.

34) I have a $5.00 silver certificate dated 1934. Is it possible to find out how much this is worth? It is in good condition. I sell the notes in very good condition for $8.00.

35) How can I tell if my old banknote is genuine? Thank you for the photo! There are millions of these types and they certainly do confuse the average person and non-collector. These old looking notes seem to be printed on a yellowish parchment paper with all printing in black. Genuine notes are not like this. These rather stiff notes are still being sold today at various Battlefield Museums as souvenir pieces. They are worthless!