Expert: Jim Lawniczak - 5/11/2007

Question
I have a 1934A 20 dollar bill. What is the difference between A & B? It has lime green numbers and the whole back side is lime green. You can tell it has been folded once. But i have kept it in a tight spot for a while! What do you think the value of this is?

Answer
Toni, I have a couple year old list of U.S. paper money price guide.  The 1934A 20 dollar bill retails for $40 in EF condition and $60 in uncirculated.  If you can see a fold, it's unlikely it is even an EF, so it would not be worth much more (if any more than face value).  If the note has a star at the end of the serial number, it would be worth more.  

Actually there are 1934 and A, B, C and D notes.  The different letters mean that there were different signatures on the notes.  Thus, your A note is signed by Julian and Morgenthau; while the B is signed by Julian and Vinson.  

I am surprised that I can find so few of these selling now on eBay.  Go to www.ebay.com and do a search for twenty dollar 1934 and 2 items selling will come up.  I now see why.  The proper search is 1934 $20.  That'll bring up 59 items and give you a chance to compare what is for sale with what you have.

Hope this helped, Jim Lawniczak