If you find a small star (★) at the end of a US dollar bill serial number — instead of the usual letter suffix — you're holding a star note. These replacement banknotes are printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing whenever a standard note is damaged during production.
Why Are Some Star Notes Valuable?
Star notes are printed in smaller quantities than standard notes — they're replacements, not the primary run. The key metric is run size: how many notes were printed in that specific star note batch. Runs under 640,000 are generally collectible. Runs under 50,000 are rare. Some runs printed only 3,200 notes.
Star Note Values by Run Size
| Run Size | Rarity | Premium Over Face |
|---|---|---|
| Over 3.2 million | Very common | $0 - $2 |
| 640,000 | Collectible threshold | $5 - $20 |
| 128,000 | Rare | $30 - $100 |
| 3,200 | Extremely rare | $300 - $1,000+ |
Star Notes + Fancy Serials: Double Value
A star note that also has a fancy serial pattern is worth considerably more than either feature alone. Use the FancySerial.money star note toggle when checking your serial to detect combined patterns automatically.