Rare $20 Bills, Plus How to Appraise & Sell Them

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The most valuable twenty-dollar bills in history

Co-authored by Dean Kinzer and Eric McClure

Last Updated: June 9, 2025 Fact Checked

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20-Dollar Bill Values

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Rarest $20 Bills

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Priciest Misprints

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What makes a $20 bill valuable?

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Selling Bills

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FAQ

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Video

In the world of rare money collecting, coins get all of the headlines. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a huge market for rare $20 bills. While most modern bills are worth face value (or slightly more), there is a ton of money floating around out there that may be worth a small fortune. In this article, we’ll break down how to assess $20 bills, as well as cover some of the rarest prints and errors in the history of US currency.

Rare 20 Dollar Bills Worth Money

1861 Demand Note: $300,000-500,000
1869 Legal Tender Note: $3,700-15,000
1863 Legal Tender Note: $3,500-7,000
1873 Legal Tender Note: Up to $20,000
1875 Legal Tender Note: Up to $5,000

Section 1 of 6:

20-Dollar Bill Values

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20-Dollar Bill Value Chart
Year	Bill	Seal Color	Circulated Value	Uncirculated Value
1861	Demand Note	Red	$50,000	$300,000 and up
1869	Legal Tender Note	Red	$3,700-15,000	Up to $50,000
1863	Legal Tender Note	Red	$3,500-7,000	Up to $20,000
1873	Legal Tender Note	Red	$1,000-3,000	Up to $20,000
1875	Legal Tender Note	Red	$50-3,000	Up to $5,000
1886	Silver Certificate	Red	$50-2,000	Up to $3,500
1928	Star Note	Red	$100-300	Up to $10,000
1977	Misaligned Print	Green	$10-100	Up to $5,000
1996	Inverted Serial Number	Green	$30-100	$1,000-3,000
2004	Off-Center Print	Green	$30-500	$500-2,000
2006	Serial Number Font Misprint	Green	$30-1,000	$1,000-5,000

Section 2 of 6:

The Rarest and Most Expensive $20 Bills

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1861 Demand Note A demand note is a type of paper money that the US government printed during the Civil War in 1861-1862. In fact, this was the first time in US history that paper money was issued! This makes the 1861 demand note especially rare. So rare, in fact, that only 22 specimens are known to exist.^{[1]
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- Value: $300,000-500,000. Around $50,000 for lower-quality bills.
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1869 Legal Tender Note Legal tender notes refer to paper bills issued between 1862 and 1923. The name refers to the fact that it says “legal tender for all debts, public and private” on them.^{[2]
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Research source} The 1869 print run, known as the “Rainbow Series” for its vibrant colors, is among the most in-demand bills.
- Value: $3,700-15,000. Especially high-quality bills can fetch up to $50,000.
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1863 Legal Tender Note The 1863 legal tender note is especially desired. As another Civil War note with few specimens proven to exist, the demand for these bills is quite high.^{[3]
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- Value: $3,500-7,000. Pristine bills can go for up to $20,000.
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1873 Legal Tender Note Bills from this series are sought after for their rarity and dynamic design.^{[4]
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- Value: Up to $20,000.
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1875 Legal Tender Note While the 1875 legal tender note isn’t particularly unique from a design perspective, it’s one of the rarest bills on this list. Only 67 specimens exist, so these bills end up costing quite a bit based on their rarity alone.
- Value: Up to $5,000.
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1886 Silver Certificate Silver certificates were issued from 1878 to 1964. Basically, they were bills that allowed the holder of the note the ability to exchange it for $20 worth of silver. The 1886 certificate is especially sought after for the odd portrait of Daniel Manning on the front, as well as the rarity of the bill.^{[5]
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- Value: Up to $3,500.

Section 3 of 6:

The Most Expensive $20 Bill Misprints

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1928 Star Note These bills aren’t technically misprints, but they represent them in a kind of funny way. In 1928, any bills that were damaged or misprinted during the printing process were replaced with “red star” notes, which have a red star on them to indicate they’re replacing another print.
- Value: Up to $10,000.
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1977 Misaligned Prints Misalignment occurs when the front of a bill and the back of a bill are not aligned when the ink is pressed. On the 1977 $20, these errors are especially pronounced, making them uniquely desirable among collectors.
- Value: Up to $5,000.
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2004 Inverted Serial Numbers There are a few bills from the 2004 $20 run that have a very fascinating error—flipped serial numbers. These $20 notes have inverted serial numbers that sit upside-down on the bill!.
- Value: $1,000-3,000.
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1996 Off-Center Prints A handful of bills from this print run have a unique print error similar to a misalignment—off-center printing. These errors occur when the printing plate isn’t aligned with the bill properly, which causes the ink to sit at an off-angle. 1996 notes with this error are known for being especially off-center, making them uniquely desirable.
- Value: $500-2,000.
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2006 Serial Number Font Misprints There are a few bills from the 2006 print run that contain a rather bizarre mistake: an incorrect font for the serial numbers. These bills are especially sought-after by collectors who seek out weirder errors from the US Treasury.
- Value: $1,000-5,000.

Section 4 of 6:

What makes a $20 bill valuable?

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For older collectible bills, rarity and condition are king. For $20 bills from before 1980 or so, there are a handful of factors that play into the value of the bill. The two most important factors are undoubtedly rarity and quality, but all kinds of variables play into the demand for the note.^{[6]
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- Rarity: How many other specimens exist of a given print run contributes greatly to the bill’s overall value.
- Condition: The better the condition of the bill, the higher value it will fetch at an auction.
- Errors: Printing errors and mistakes normally increase the value of a bill.
- Historical relevance: If the bill was printed for a unique historical reason or it was printed during an especially historical year, it’s likely worth more.
- Unique serial numbers: For bills printed after 1863, the $20 note has a serial number. If the serial number is unique, interesting, symmetrical, or funny for some reason, the bill is worth more than other bills from that print run.
- What are they worth? $20 bills produced from (very roughly) 1940-1980 are worth slightly more than face value (usually $21-25) if they’re not in mint condition. The really expensive bills before that were typically produced before 1934—the year the US dropped the gold standard and $20 bills became much more common.^{[7]
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For modern bills in circulation, the serial number is most essential. Modern bills are not as popular among collectors as older bills are, but that doesn’t mean there’s zero demand. For most collectors, they’re looking for notable serial numbers—the unique character set of letters and numbers on the bill.^{[8]
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Research source} There are a few different types of fancy serial number patterns that collectors look out for. Examples include:^{[9]
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- Solid: All numbers are the same. (FL 44444444 A)
- Ladder: The numbers ascend or descend. (M 12345678 C)
- Radar: The numbers are the same right to left. (G 01133110 L)
- Repeater: The numbers repeat. (G 42254225 N)
- Double Quad: The first 4 digits and second 4 digits are the same. (H 22229999 L)
- Binary: Only 1s or 2s are used. (FL 10011010 B)
- Low: The serial numbers are low. (A 00000512 B)

Section 5 of 6:

How to Sell a $20 Bill

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Take any bills you want to sell to a rare coin shop. Selling rare coins or paper money on your own can be difficult, since laypeople don’t have any way to prove the authenticity of a piece. As a result, your best option is to sell $20 bills to a rare coin shop that buys paper, as well. If you don’t have a shop near you, you can always reach out to an online rare money shop, like Heritage Auctions, Stack’s Bowers, or APMEX.^{[10]
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- If you actually have a certificate of authenticity and/or your paper has been graded, feel free to sell it yourself on eBay!

Section 6 of 6:

Frequently Asked Questions About $20 Bills

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How can you tell if your $20 bill is rare? Go online and look up the year and bill value of your currency. If you don’t see any results in the web pages (which is common for paper money), go on eBay and pull up the recently sold listings for $20 bills from that year. This will give you a comprehensive snapshot of what your bill might be worth.^{[11]
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Are 1990 $20 bills rare? Not especially, no. Unfortunately, most $20 bills printed after 1980 are only worth a little bit above face value. However, if you have a 1990 $20 bill that has an especially unique serial number, you may be able to sell it for $30-60.^{[12]
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Is a 1977 $20 bill rare? No, not particularly. If you have a specimen that is in extremely good condition, it may fetch up to $60 at an auction. Most circulated bills are only going to be worth $21-25, though.^{[13]
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What serial numbers make a dollar bill valuable? Extremely low serial numbers, serial numbers with odd or unique patterns, and serial numbers with repeating numbers are all sought after by collectors.^{[14]
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- What counts as a low serial number? Anything below 1,000 is relatively desirable. Bills with serial numbers under 100 are even more valuable