What are Star Notes?

Imagine a freshly printed sheet of banknotes. During quality control, some notes might have minor imperfections – a smudge, a printing error, or even a tear. Instead of discarding them, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) uses a unique process to ensure all notes in circulation are accounted for.

Here’s where star notes come in. The BEP replaces the imperfect sheet with a new one bearing the same serial numbers, but with an asterisk (*) added to the end of each number on the replacement sheet. This allows the BEP to track and account for all notes printed, including replacements.

Do Star Notes Hold More Value?

While star notes are interesting conversation starters . While the presence of a star imbues these notes with a certain mystique, their actual rarity is a multifaceted puzzle. Several key factors intricately contribute to a star note’s value and collectability:

• Print Run Size: This refers to the quantity of star notes printed in a single batch. Generally, notes from smaller print runs are considered rarer and potentially more valuable. Common print runs include 320,000, 640,000, 1,280,000, and 2,560,000 notes, but variations exist.
• Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) District: The first letter of a star note’s serial number signifies the FRB district from which it originated. Collectors sometimes focus on acquiring complete sets of star notes from specific FRB districts, potentially influencing their rarity and value.
• Denomination: Star notes of rarer denominations, like $2 bills or higher denominations, might hold more value compared to commonly encountered denominations like $1 bills.
• Condition: As with any collectible, the overall condition of a star note significantly impacts its value. A pristine, uncirculated star note will be worth considerably more than a worn or damaged one.
• Historical Significance: Certain star notes with unique serial numbers or specific printing dates might hold historical significance, attracting collectors and potentially fetching higher prices due to their historical context.

It’s crucial to remember that star notes are not inherently valuable. While some can command a premium due to the factors mentioned above, most star notes circulate like regular currency and hold the same face value.

Run Size

Star Notes, those exceptional variants of standard currency, are brought into existence through what are known as “runs.” In the contemporary methods employed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), the maximum size for a run of Star Notes is set at 3,200,000 notes, which equates to 100,000 32-note sheets.

However, there are occasions where a reduced quantity of Star notes is required, resulting in smaller print runs. These can commonly be found in sizes such as 320,000, 640,000, 1,280,000, and 2,560,000, though there are other variations.

In cases where a run of Star Notes does not reach its full capacity, the subsequent run will initiate at the next nearest multiple of 3.2 million.