Money is something we all know about, but whether you’re a millionaire or trying to make ends meet, you’ve probably never seen a $ 500 bill before.
George Washington is probably the president you know best because the founding father honors the $ 1 bill.
Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, and Andrew Jackson might be old friends, while Ulysses S. Grant looks more like an acquaintance.
Many more important figures appear on paper money, but they are seldom recognized due to the scarcity of invoices.
One of them is the $ 500 bill, with two designs, one featuring John Marshall and the other William McKinley.
While both are rare, the former seems more elusive due to the fact that it was printed in 1918, while the latter is from the 1928 and 1934 series, according to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing at the US Department of the Treasury.
A Redditor stumbled across what they claimed was a real bill, starring McKinley, and shared a snapshot of the money on the site’s slightly interesting forum.
“A real and very rare $ 500 bill,” Supershayan wrote on Tuesday, her post garnering over 50,000 upvotes.
The big bill is still legal tender in America, but few are in regular circulation as most are hidden in private collections.
And although they’re only worth $ 500, their real value is much higher due to their rarity, with bills being sold online for more than double their face value.
This was echoed by Supershayan, who admitted in the comments, “Someone actually offered me $ 2,000 for this.”
Excelius wrote: “Governments around the world have cracked down on the big banknotes. They are often used for illicit purposes, from tax evasion to drug trafficking.
“The $ 500 bill was discontinued in 1969, the € 500 bill ceased to be printed in 2019.
“Currently, the $ 100 bill is the largest denomination currently printed in the United States, but there have been proposals to eliminate it and maybe even the $ 50 bill.”
While Fit-Strength6533 wrote, “In my world, $ 50 bills are very rare. “
BreezyGoose revealed, “My dad has one in similar condition to OP and he paid, I think, $ 600 for his.”
While Ok_Day_675 felt, “If inflation continues, the mint is going to have to squeeze them out.”
“I just turned 39 last October and remember seeing them a few times when I was a kid. It’s probably been 30 years since I’ve seen any,” Ghandi added253.
Explaining why they are so rare, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing revealed that invoices ceased to be printed in 1969.
They said, “US currency denominations greater than $ 100 are not available from the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve System, or the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
“On July 14, 1969, the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve System announced that banknotes in denominations of $ 500, $ 1,000, $ 5,000 and $ 10,000 would be immediately discontinued due to lack of use. . Although they were issued until 1969, they were last printed in 1945. “
The largest banknotes in circulation see Alexander Hamilton gracing the $ 1,000 note, of the 1918 series, while Grover Cleveland is at the forefront of the 1928 edition.
James Madison graces the $ 5,000 note, while Salmon P. Chase graces the highest legal tender, with series printed in 1918, 1928, and 1934.
A certified gold $ 100,000 banknote was also produced in 1934, featuring President Woodrow Wilson.
This was only used for official transactions between Federal Reserve banks, before electronic banking, and private collectors cannot legally own one.
News week contacted Supershayan for comment.
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