Most old $5 bills are worth about $6-25. A circulated small-size five from the 1928, 1934, 1950, 1953 or 1963 series, whatever the seal color, was printed in the hundreds of millions and sells to collectors for a few dollars over its face value, with crisp uncirculated examples reaching about $20-80. Anything from 1969 onward with a green seal is usually face value unless it is uncirculated, a star note or carries an unusual serial number. The fives that bring real money are the large-size notes printed before 1929, the 1899 "Indian Chief" and the 1896 "Educational" silver certificates above all, the World War II Hawaii and North Africa emergency notes of 1934A, scarce 1929 National Bank Notes from small-town banks, and star notes from the early series.
Every one of these is still legal tender for five dollars, so no old five is worth less than face. The two things that decide the premium are the series year printed on the face and the color of the Treasury seal, and the condition of the paper decides how far up its range a note sits.
Quick answer
- Small-size $5 bills from 1928 to 1963 are worth about $6-25 circulated, about $20-80 uncirculated, with the 1928 series at the upper end.
- Hawaii brown seal and North Africa yellow seal fives from 1934A sell for about $75-300 circulated.
- Large-size fives before 1929 start at about $60 for a worn 1914 note and reach $1,000-3,000 for an 1899 Indian Chief in nice condition.
- Series 1969 and later are face value unless uncirculated, a star note or a fancy serial.
How to identify and value an old $5 bill, step by step
- Measure it. Small-size notes, the same size as a modern bill, began with Series 1928. A note that is clearly larger, about 7.4 by 3.1 inches, is large-size currency from 1928 or earlier and belongs in the higher table below.
- Read the series year. On a small-size note it is printed on the lower right of the face, near the signature, as "SERIES 1934 A" and so on. A letter after the year is a signature change within the series, not a different design, though some letters are scarcer than others. On large-size notes the series is printed within the design, often near the top or bottom border.
- Note the seal color. Green means Federal Reserve Note; red means United States Note, also called a legal tender note; blue means silver certificate; brown means a National Bank Note of 1929, a Federal Reserve Bank Note of 1929 or the Hawaii emergency note of 1934A; yellow on a blue-numbered silver certificate means the North Africa emergency note of 1934A.
- Look at the serial number. A star at the start or end of the serial marks a replacement note; see our guide to star notes. Very low numbers (under 1000), solid digits, ladders, radars and repeaters carry their own premium regardless of series.
- Check for overprints. HAWAII printed in large letters across the back and twice on the face, with a brown seal, is the 1942 emergency issue for the Pacific. A yellow seal with blue serial numbers is the North Africa issue for the invasion forces.
- Grade the paper honestly. Count the folds. A note with one or two light folds grades about Extremely Fine. Three folds, or a hard center crease, is Very Fine. Soft, limp paper with many folds and rounded corners is Fine or lower. Stains, tears, pinholes and writing drop a note a grade or more.
- For a National Bank Note, read the bank and the charter number. The town and bank name are printed on the face. A large city bank with a long run of notes is common; a small-town bank with a short run can be worth many times more.
- Search the series and seal in sold listings. Match the grade to yours and ignore asking prices; the gap between asking and sold on paper money is wide.
What small-size $5 bills sell for
The small-size $5 was printed as four different kinds of money at once for much of the 1930s to 1960s, and the designs differ only in the seal, the serial color and the obligation text. All carry Lincoln on the face and the Lincoln Memorial on the back. Values below are for undamaged notes as of late 2026.
| Series and type | Seal | Circulated (Fine to Very Fine) | Crisp uncirculated |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928, 1928A to 1928F United States Note | Red | $10-30 | $50-200 |
| 1928, 1928A to 1928D Federal Reserve Note | Green, numeral district seal | $10-30 | $50-200 |
| 1929 National Bank Note, common bank | Brown | $25-100 | $150-400 |
| 1929 National Bank Note, scarce small bank | Brown | $150-1,000+ | $500-3,000+ |
| 1929 Federal Reserve Bank Note | Brown | $20-60 | $100-300 |
| 1934, 1934A to 1934D silver certificate | Blue | $7-15 | $25-60 |
| 1934, 1934A to 1934D Federal Reserve Note | Green | $7-15 | $25-60 |
| 1934A Hawaii | Brown, HAWAII overprint | $100-300 | $600-1,500 |
| 1934A North Africa | Yellow, blue serials | $75-250 | $400-1,200 |
| 1950, 1950A to 1950E Federal Reserve Note | Green | $6-12 | $15-40 |
| 1953, 1953A to 1953C United States Note | Red | $7-15 | $20-50 |
| 1953, 1953A, 1953B silver certificate | Blue | $7-15 | $20-50 |
| 1963 United States Note | Red | $7-15 | $15-35 |
| 1963, 1963A Federal Reserve Note | Green | $5-8 | $12-25 |
| 1969 to 1995 Federal Reserve Note | Green | Face to $7 | $10-25 |
| 1999 onward | Green | Face | $8-15 |
The 1928 series is the one to look at twice. Series 1928 Federal Reserve Notes carry a number rather than a letter in the district seal, and the plain 1928 and 1928A red seals are scarcer than the later letters. The 1934 and 1953 silver certificates and the 1963 red seal are what most people find, and they are common enough that condition is nearly everything. A worn 1953 red seal five is a $7 note; the same note with its original crispness is a $30 note.
Star notes roughly double to quadruple the circulated figures in the table and can do far more on scarce blocks; a 1928 red seal star or a Hawaii star is a note worth researching before it is sold.
What large-size $5 bills sell for
Large-size fives are older, scarcer and far more varied in design, and the prices are a different world. The series year on these is the year the design was authorized, and notes were printed under it for years afterward with changing signatures.
| Note | Nickname | Circulated (Fine to Very Fine) | Extremely Fine and better |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 Federal Reserve Note, blue seal | Lincoln | $60-200 | $250-800 |
| 1914 Federal Reserve Note, red seal | Lincoln | $300-800 | $1,000-3,000 |
| 1915 and 1918 Federal Reserve Bank Note | Lincoln, bank name | $200-600 | $800-2,500 |
| 1907 United States Note, red seal | Woodchopper | $100-350 | $400-1,200 |
| 1899 silver certificate | Indian Chief, Running Antelope | $600-1,500 | $1,500-5,000+ |
| 1896 silver certificate | Educational | $1,500-5,000 | $6,000-30,000+ |
| 1891 silver certificate | Grant | $400-1,200 | $1,500-4,000 |
| 1886 silver certificate | Silver dollar back, Morgan back | $1,500-5,000 | $6,000-20,000+ |
| 1902 National Bank Note, common bank | Harrison, blue seal | $75-300 | $300-1,000 |
| 1882 National Bank Note, Brown Back | Garfield | $300-1,000 | $1,000-4,000 |
| 1875 and 1880 United States Note | Pioneer family, Woodchopper | $200-800 | $800-3,000 |
The 1899 Indian Chief is the large five people most often inherit, because many were saved for the portrait, the only Native American to appear on US paper money as the central subject. Condition moves its price more than almost any other factor; a limp, stained example sells for a few hundred dollars and a bright one with sharp corners sells for several thousand. The 1896 Educational five is scarcer still and rarely found in a drawer.
Common mistakes
- Reading the series letter as a year. "1934 D" was printed around 1953, and the letter marks a signature change.
- Assuming a red or blue seal means rarity. The 1953 and 1963 red seals and the 1934 and 1953 blue seals were printed in the hundreds of millions.
- Ironing, pressing or washing a note to make it look crisp. Pressing is detectable, lowers the grade and removes the original surface that collectors pay for.
- Missing the overprint. A 1934A five is a $10 note until you notice HAWAII across the back or the yellow seal, and then it is a $100-300 note.
- Confusing an 1899 Indian Chief five with the reproduction copies sold at gift shops. Reproductions are printed on slick paper, often marked "COPY" in small letters, and feel nothing like rag currency.
- Selling a National Bank Note without checking the bank. The same 1929 design from a large city bank sells for $30 and from a tiny failed bank for over $1,000.
How WorthPic reads banknote photos
WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. A $5 bill is a dense document, and the photo of the face carries almost everything: the series year and letter, the seal color and its district or type, the serial number and whether it carries a star, the signatures, the portrait style that separates a 1928 from a 1950, and any HAWAII or yellow-seal overprint. From the back it reads the design and the size, which settles large versus small at a glance. It then counts what it can see of the folds, soiling and corner wear to place the note in a grade band, places the series and type against the current market and gives an honest value range for that grade. Paper has limits in a photo. A pressed note, a repaired tear, a faint pinhole or a trimmed edge may not show, and it will say so and ask for an angled photo under raking light. It identifies and estimates. It does not grade, authenticate or appraise for insurance. For a large-size note, an emergency issue or a star note that appears to be worth more than about $200, PCGS Banknote or PMG grading with the note in hand is what sets the price buyers will pay.
What to photograph
- The full face, flat, straight on and in even daylight, so the series, seal, serial numbers and signatures are readable. This is the photo that settles the series and the seal.
- The full back, which settles large-size designs and shows a HAWAII overprint.
- The seal and the series year close up.
- The serial number close up, especially the first and last characters, where a star sits.
- The note held at an angle under a lamp, so folds, pressing and surface wear show.
- Both edges, if you suspect trimming; original margins are uneven and the edges are slightly rough.
- For a National Bank Note, the bank name and charter number close up.
When to get it looked at in person
A 1934, 1950, 1953 or 1963 five in circulated condition is a $6-25 note and does not need a grading service; a coin and currency dealer or a collector club will buy it or tell you to spend it, and that is honest. The notes that justify a professional opinion are the large-size issues, the Hawaii and North Africa notes, scarce National Bank Notes, early star notes and any note that appears uncirculated. For those, PMG or PCGS Banknote grading in a sealed holder removes the arguments about grade and pressing that otherwise cost a seller money, and a paper money dealer or a specialist currency auction reaches the bidders who pay the top of the range. Fives rarely turn up alone, and our guides to old dollar bills and old $100 bills cover the rest of the envelope.