Your $5 bill could be worth $5,300 – the year and ‘rainbow’ element to look for
A COLORFUL $5 bill could be your ticket to thousands of dollars.
This applies to a note from the 19th century that recently sold on eBay for $5,300.
The U.S. Treasury printed Series 1869 dollars with a distinctive and vivid color scheme, which is why they are classified as "Rainbow Notes."
"The Series 1869 United States Notes, dubbed 'Legal Tenders' by banknote collectors, were printed under the authority of the Congressional Act of March 3, 1863, which authorized an issue of $150million in banknotes representing a variety of denominations not less than one dollar," explained Cory Williams at Professional Coin Grading Services.
Denominations ranging from $1 to $1,000 were printed and can be valuable collector's items.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
While most Rainbow Notes have value, certain qualities can set your bill apart and make it worth thousands of dollars.
READ MORE ON RARE NOTES AND COINS
The 1869 that sold is in excellent condition, adding to its value.
It is rated 64PPQ, just 6 points shy of a perfect score of 70.
Unlike modern $5 bills, Andrew Jackson is on this note, with Abraham Lincoln honored on $100 Rainbow Notes.
Rainbow Notes were issued prior to the implementation of the Federal Reserve System in 1913 and they have Treasury Note printed on the front, not Federal Reserve Note.
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The 1869 date can be found above the word "United" on the front of the bill.
Also, it will have multiple colors visible on the bill such as blue, red, green and pink.
If you think you have a genuine Rainbow Note, you will want to have it professionally appraised before putting it up for sale or auction.
OTHER NOTES TO LOOK FOR
Meanwhile, you don't need to have a colorful bill that's more than 150 years old bill to have some serious value on your hands.
Many sought-after bills have other unique elements to them that you'll want to look for.
For example, a $20 bill with mismatched suffixes on its serial number recently sold for nearly $2,000.
The left serial number ends in a D while the one on the right ends in F.
A $1 bill with a star on one of the serial numbers but not on the other sold for nearly $30,000.
Another detail to check for is if every number in the serial number is identical.
One with a "solid" serial number could be extremely rare, with an example of a $5 bill with all eights selling for over $2,000.
Read More on The US Sun
Check your change to see if you have a steel penny worth six figures.
And see if your state quarter has a tiny detail making it worth up to $6,000.