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Banknote Expert

Methodology

We estimate a note's collectibility from two things: the pattern in its serial number and its condition. Value ranges are drawn from realised auction and sold-listing prices, never asking prices, and every figure is labelled with how confident we are. This page explains exactly how, and where the numbers come from.

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Where the value figures come from

Different figures on the site come from different places, and we keep them separate rather than implying one source covers everything.

Fancy pattern values

The pattern value bands are sampled directly by us from completed, sold listings on Heritage Auctions and eBay, gathered in September 2026. We record realised prices, not asking prices. Where a pattern and grade had eight or more sales we report the interquartile range, which resists single outliers; below eight sales we report the full observed low-to-high range. Every band discloses its sample size so you can judge how thin the evidence is.

$2 note series values

The $2 value chart is not our own sampling. It is compiled from serialworth.com's published price guide, which itself aggregates eBay and Heritage Auctions sold data. We treat it as a secondary source and label it as such. A few rows were adjusted only where an uncirculated figure fell below the circulated one for the same series, which cannot be right; those are marked indicative.

Where star note print runs come from

Star note rarity rests on how many replacement notes were actually printed, which is a matter of public record. Those figures come from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's monthly production reports at bep.gov: 287 monthly reports covering 1999 to 2025 were downloaded and parsed, and every run in our dataset carries a direct link to the exact report it was read from, so any figure the tool shows can be verified in one click.

Separately, the rarity odds shown for each pattern describe how often that arrangement occurs by chance in an eight-digit serial. That is a fixed mathematical property, not a market or production figure.

What estimate and indicative mean

"Estimate" means the band rests on a reasonable sample of eight or more recorded sales, reported as an interquartile range. "Indicative" means the sample is small, sometimes a single sale: it shows what has been paid, not a reliable market range, and should be read with caution.

Gaps are deliberate. A pattern and condition with no recorded sales is left blank and reported as insufficient data, never filled with a zero, a guess, or a neighbouring grade's figure. We would rather show less than show something we cannot stand behind.

What the 0–100 rarity score measures

The rarity score rates how unusual a serial number's pattern is, from 0 for an ordinary number to 100 for the very rarest arrangements. It is deterministic and explainable: the same serial always produces the same score, and the breakdown shows exactly which pattern contributed which points. Where one pattern subsumes another (a solid is trivially also a binary), only the strongest is counted. A star note adds a small documented bonus.

It is just as important to say what the score does not measure. It is not a price, and it is not a grade. A high score means the pattern is scarce, not that the note is valuable: condition, denomination and demand decide the money. Read the score as a first filter for how interesting a serial is, then turn to the value ranges and, ultimately, the live market.

Grading terminology

We report value across three broad condition bands. Circulated covers notes that have seen use, with folds, softness or wear. Very Fine describes a note with light handling but still firm and attractive. Uncirculated means a note with no wear at all, as issued. These bands map onto the more granular numeric scales used by the two main third-party graders, PMG and PCGS Banknote, whose standards define what each grade means.

Grade drives value more than most people expect: the same pattern can be worth several times more in uncirculated condition than in a worn state, which is why every range on the site is split by condition rather than quoted as one number.

How often the data is refreshed

Value ranges are reviewed on a rolling basis as new auction and sold-listing results come in, and the date below records the last review. Series facts, seal colours and rarity odds change rarely, if ever, because they rest on fixed reference data; market ranges move more often and are the main focus of each refresh.

Limitations

Everything here is a research estimate, not an appraisal. We are not buying or selling notes, and no figure on this site is an offer. Paper-money prices move with condition, demand and what happens to sell in a given month, so treat our ranges as orientation and confirm any note against recent comparable sales before you buy or sell.

For a firm valuation, or before committing real money to a scarce note, consult a professional currency dealer or submit the note to a recognised grading service. An independent grade both settles the condition question and makes a note far easier to sell.

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