Expert: Dan Moore - 11/13/2009

Question
I have a $20 U.S. bill printed in 1990 that is in absolutely perfect condition. It looks as if it has never been touched - no sign of folding anywhere, no discolorations, etc. I'm guessing it's not worth anything more than $20 right now, seeing as it is only 19 years old. However, I am wondering how long you think I would have to wait for it to be worth anything significant. I'm sure that will depend on the supply and demand at the time of sale as well as the details of my particular bill, but based on your experience with paper money do you think I will have something of considerable value in, say, 50 years? I'm still rather young and plan on living for quite a while yet, and I think if I could make some money simply by holding onto a bill for a long time then I might as well. I realize your specialty is with coins, but I'm sure you still know considerably more on the topic of paper bill value than do I. Thanks for whatever you can tell me.

Answer
Dustin,

With the massive numbers of notes being printed, it's going to take several decades -- maybe a century -- before a 1990 note will be worth anything significant.  Your only chance is if you can get it into a certified holder and graded CU69 or higher (see pcgs.com for their currency grading service).  There's just too many nice notes out there -- way more than there are collectors for them.

You would be much better off buying an old, pre-1900, large size note -- they have a much better chance of appreciating in value than the modern stuff does.

I hope this helps,

Dan