Following the issuance of the 1914 red seal Federal Reserve notes, the United States government printed 1914 blue seal notes. The blue seals are the same as the red seal bills except for the seal color. Blue seals are far more easily available than the earlier red seals, and are therefore less valuable for old money collectors.
The blue seal bills, particularly those in the smaller denominations, are relatively easy for old money collectors to find. The value of these notes to rare paper currency dealers, therefore, depends largely upon their condition.
Smaller Denominations
- Series 1914 $5 blue seals are worth about $50 in circulated condition, unless they have rust, stains, tears, holes, or missing pieces. The $5 bill features a portrait of President Abraham Lincoln on the face.
- The $10 bills, which feature a portrait of President Andrew Jackson, are worth about $55 to collectors. Those with a serial number under 100 or have a star symbol at the end of the serial number are worth more.
- A 1914 $20 blue seal can be worth about $60 to old money dealers if it is in good condition. The $20 bills have the face of President Grover Cleveland on the front.
- The larger denominations, like the $50 bill with President Ulysses S. Grant, who helped lead the northern forces to victory in the Civil War, can be worth about $100 even if they are heavily circulated. They are even more valuable if they are in good condition. Their value is also based on the issuing district and serial number.
- The 1914 $100 bill was the first currency of this denomination that featured Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. All twelve Federal Reserve Banks issued 1914 blue seal $100 notes, and each district issued at least four different varieties.
- The $500 denomination, with a portrait of Chief Justice John Marshall, is much rarer than the smaller denominations. These notes are worth at least $1,000, and are even more valuable to rare currency dealers if they are in good condition.
Larger, Rarer Denominations
- The $1,000 denomination 1914 bill is very rare, with only about 200 in existence.
- Although $5,000 and $10,000 bills were printed in the 1914 series, they are all in government or institutional collections. There are a lot of reproductions of $5,000 bills out there, so rare currency collectors need to be careful if they come across one.
Because the 1914 blue seals are easier to find than the earlier red seal bills, they provide a good opportunity for collectors of old money to get a more complete collection, particularly in smaller denominations, than they would be able to with rarer issues.
