How Much Are Old $20 Bills Worth?

There are two major factors that affect the value of any old twenty dollar bill.  Those are rarity and condition.  Notice we did not say age.  Age matters indirectly because older $20 bills are generally valuable.  However, being old is not enough.  In order to be valuable, the bill has to at least be rare, and being in great condition always helps.  Supply and demand is always important as well.

If you would like to know the value of your old $20 bill, then please don’t hesitate to contact us.  We are interested buyers.  Just send pictures of your bill and we can make an offer.  Sales@AntiqueMoney.com

Rarity – Rarity is a factor of number of notes known to exist.  If 1,000 1907 $20 bills were printed and all 1,000 still exist, then it isn’t rare.  If one million were printed and only two have survived, then that would be rare and valuable.

Condition – Most old twenty dollar bills are not rare.  What makes them valuable is their condition.  For example, a 1922 $20 gold certificate in circulated condition usually sells for around $100.  The exact same bill in perfect condition would be worth $1,000 or more.

Wildcard Factors:

Errors:  There is an active market for misprinted $20 bills.  The value of any error is just based on the above factors in addition to the severity of the error.  Furthermore, the degree of complication that created the error is a factor.  Some errors may appear significant, but they are easy to produce.  Those will be less valuable than the once in a blue moon type errors.

Serial Numbers:  There is a certain subgroup of collectors who really like serial numbers.  If the serial number on your $20 bill is immediately recognizable as odd or unique, then it could have more value than a standard serial number.

Provenance:  This rarely comes into play, but it is important to mention.  The specific history of a $20 bill can affect the value.  For example, a certain $20 bill flown into space would be worth $20 based on its condition and age.  However, because it has a unique history it become very collectible.

Autographs:  If you had an old twenty dollar bill signed by Mark Twain, James Garfield, etc, it would almost certainly be worth more than the collector value alone.  However, this is a double edged sword.  A high value $20 bill that is already worth $10,000 due to its condition and rarity might actually lose value if it is also signed by someone famous.  The purists would view the signature as graffiti.

So as you can see, there is no point A to point B way to value any $20 bill.  You just have to use different factors and work with an expert to establish the value.  If you need help, contact us.  Sales@AntiqueMoney.com