The Rarest Star Notes
Star note rarity is driven by how few notes were printed in a run. These are the smallest star-note runs in our database (Series 1976–present) — the kind collectors chase. Check your own note in the star note lookup.
Smallest star note runs on record
“Bank” is the Federal Reserve city your note belongs to — it’s the first letter of your serial number (shown in brackets, e.g. F = Atlanta). “Notes printed” is how many were made in that run — fewer means rarer.
| Bill | Series (year) | Federal Reserve Bank | Notes printed | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | 2004A | Atlanta (F) | 9,600 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 1995 | Boston (A) | 9,999 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 1995 | New York (B) | 9,999 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 1995 | Philadelphia (C) | 9,999 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 1995 | Cleveland (D) | 9,999 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 1995 | Richmond (E) | 9,999 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 1995 | Atlanta (F) | 9,999 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 1995 | Chicago (G) | 9,999 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 1995 | St. Louis (H) | 9,999 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 1995 | Minneapolis (I) | 9,999 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 1995 | Kansas City (J) | 9,999 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 1995 | Dallas (K) | 9,999 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 1995 | San Francisco (L) | 9,999 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 2003 | Boston (A) | 16,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 2003 | New York (B) | 16,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 2003 | Philadelphia (C) | 16,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 2003 | Cleveland (D) | 16,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 2003 | Richmond (E) | 16,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 2003 | Atlanta (F) | 16,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 2003 | Chicago (G) | 16,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 2003 | St. Louis (H) | 16,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 2003 | Kansas City (J) | 16,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 2003 | Dallas (K) | 16,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 2003 | San Francisco (L) | 16,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $1 | 2017 | Boston (A) | 25,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $1 | 2009 | New York (B) | 32,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 2017A | New York (B) | 32,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $2 | 2017A | San Francisco (L) | 32,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $100 | 2006A | Atlanta (F) | 32,000 | Extremely Rare |
| $100 | 2017A | Atlanta (F) | 32,000 | Extremely Rare |
How a star note’s run size is decided
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing prints star notes to replace bills spoiled during production. A full run is 3,200,000 notes (100,000 sheets of 32 subjects). But the BEP only prints as many replacements as a Federal Reserve district actually needs — so when a small number of spoiled notes have to be covered, it prints a partial run. Those partial runs, sometimes just tens of thousands of notes, are what make a star note scarce.
Why small runs are worth more
Scarcity drives the whole market. A run of 160,000 is twenty times rarer than a full 3.2-million run, and collectors pay a premium that climbs steeply once a run falls below the 640,000 “worth setting aside” cutoff. Below 320,000 a note is genuinely hard to find; below 160,000 it’s a prize in any condition.
Run size isn’t the only factor — condition and a fancy serial number multiply value further. See the star note value chart for ballpark figures by run size and denomination.
Are older star notes rarer?
Often, yes. Beyond raw run size, older series (especially pre-1981) survive in far smaller numbers because most were spent or destroyed, so even a “normal” run can be scarce today in collectible condition. High denominations ($50 and $100) also tend to come from smaller runs. That said, condition is decisive for older notes — a crisp, uncirculated survivor is worth a large multiple of a worn one.
How to check if your star note is rare
Don’t guess from a list — check your exact note. Open the star note lookup, enter your denomination, series year and serial number (the one ending in ★), and it returns the precise run size and rarity tier, flags the famous 2013 duplicate if it applies, and estimates a value range.