In 2023, the U.S. Currency Program (USCP) began a multiyear process of modernizing its banknote production equipment, which will result in nonconsecutive sequencing of serial numbers on all new straps of U.S. currency. During the transition period, changes to serial number sequencing will be phased in by denomination. Until the transition to the new printing process is complete, both sequential and nonsequential straps may appear in orders of U.S. currency.
After initiating the transition process with the $1 denomination, the USCP also recently started producing the $20 denomination on its new equipment. Beginning in June, nonsequential straps of the $20 will be available based on local inventories and distribution schedules. In straps produced with the new printing process, serial number patterns may contain gaps and will no longer be in consecutive sequence.
The first Federal Reserve note in a nonsequential strap is not expected to have a serial number ending in “01.” Similarly, the last Federal Reserve note is not expected to have a serial number ending in “00.” New straps produced with traditional production equipment contain 100 banknotes where the serial number on the first banknote ends with “01” and the serial number on the last banknote ends in “00.”
Additionally, the USCP’s traditional banknote production equipment will continue to issue star notes to replace sequential serial numbers on imperfect notes in a strap of Federal Reserve notes. However, the new printing equipment will no longer produce star notes.
All Federal Reserve notes, including star notes, will remain legal tender and worth their face value regardless of when they were issued. Should you have any questions about this update, please contact uscurrency@frb.gov.
U.S. Federal Reserve Notes
Sequential package
Non-sequential package
These are examples of straps of U.S. Federal Reserve notes. Not all straps will replicate these images.
