How This Tool Works
StarNoteLookup turns official U.S. currency production data into a plain-English answer about your note: how rare it is, what it’s worth, and why. Here’s exactly where our data comes from and how every number is calculated — so you can judge it for yourself.
Where our data comes from
Our run-size database is built from primary, authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) monthly production reports. These official “Report of Federal Reserve Notes Printed” documents list, for every series, denomination and Federal Reserve district, the exact serial ranges and quantities printed — including star notes. As works of the U.S. federal government, the figures are in the public domain.
- uspapermoney.info, the decades-long serial-number research compiled by Doug Murray, which documents historic runs and reconstructs star-note gaps the BEP didn’t always record.
- We cross-check these against each other (and published collector tables) to fill gaps, catch transcription errors, and add the printing facility — Washington, DC or Fort Worth — wherever it’s known.
The result is run-level coverage from Series 1976 through the current 2021 notes, refreshed as the BEP publishes new monthly figures.
How we determine rarity
A star note’s rarity comes down to one number: how many notes were printed in its specific run. A full run is 3,200,000 notes (100,000 sheets of 32); anything smaller is a partial run, and smaller is rarer. We map the run size to the tiers collectors actually use:
- ≤ 160,000 — Extremely Rare
- ≤ 320,000 — Very Rare
- ≤ 640,000 — Rare (the classic premium cutoff)
- ≤ 1,920,000 — Scarce
- up to ~3,200,000 — Common
The tool finds the exact run your serial number falls into and reports that run’s size — not a vague estimate.
How we estimate value
Our value range is a transparent rules-based estimate, not a guess and not an appraisal. It combines four factors collectors use: the run-size tier, the condition you select (circulated vs. uncirculated), the denomination and series, and any fancy serial pattern. The figure shown is the market price — what comparable notes have recently sold for.
What you’d actually take home is less: selling on eBay nets roughly 85% after fees, and a dealer typically pays about half of retail. We surface that gap rather than hide it. For any note that might be valuable, confirm against recent eBay sold listings and consider professional grading from PMG or PCGS Currency.
How fancy serial numbers are detected
The fancy serial checker evaluates your eight-digit serial against every recognized pattern — solid, ladder, radar, super radar, repeater, super repeater, binary, true binary, low/high serial, birthday and more — using strict definitions consistent with PMG and established collector conventions. A true binary must use only 0s and 1s; a ladder must be a perfect consecutive run, not a scrambled set. If a serial has no genuine pattern, we say so. All of this runs in your browser; your serial number is never uploaded.
How current the data is
The BEP publishes production figures monthly, typically a few months after the notes are printed. We ingest each new report as it’s released, so the dataset stays current with the latest circulating series. The footer of every page shows the month our data is current through.
Limitations & disclaimer
This is a free research tool, not a professional appraisal or an offer to buy or sell. Coverage is strongest for Series 1976–present; very old or unusual notes may not appear, and a serial that was never printed (a reserved gap) will return no match. Value figures are estimates that move with the collector market and depend heavily on the physical condition of your specific note. For anything you believe is genuinely valuable, get a second opinion from recent sold prices and a professional grading service before acting.