The saying “A dollar saved is a dollar earned” is well known, but did you know some \$1 bills can be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars? While coins often attract collectors, certain paper money with unique serial numbers can be just as valuable.

Each U.S. dollar bill has an eight-digit serial number. Most are ordinary, but collectors prize those with unusual patterns. Some rare sequences are even discarded during printing, making surviving bills highly sought after.

Popular patterns include ladder numbers (e.g., 01234567), radar notes that read the same forwards and backwards (e.g., 22211222), and super radars where the middle six digits match (e.g., 23333332). Other types are super repeaters with alternating digits (e.g., 01010101), repeaters (e.g., 01570157), and more complex patterns like radar repeaters (12211221) or double quads (00003333).

Bills with multiple sevens or binary notes containing just two digits are also prized. Before spending your cash, check your bills carefully—you might have a valuable collector’s item in your wallet.

Websites like coolserialnumbers.com can help estimate their worth. Collecting currency offers a fascinating hobby and a reminder that sometimes money is worth more than its face value.