Serial Number - Begginers Guide (5)

By Liliana E. González

@LilianaElena

This post is part of the book Beginner’s Guide To Collect Paper Money, check it out at Banknote Heaven.


Set of numbers and or letters on a note. The serial number is perhaps one of the oldest security devices on a banknote. Using unique serial numbers on each bill, governments are able to closely track legitimate bills.

Sometimes serial numbers get “unusual” like one number repeated several times or filling series as “12345678” or the notes called “radar” whose serial numbers are the same backward and forward.

Collectors also buy sets of banknotes in consecutive serial numbers.

The notes below show a “radar” serial number 663366 and 6226

Denomination (face value) - Begginers Guide (6)

By Liliana E. González

@LilianaElena

This post is part of the book Beginner’s Guide To Collect Paper Money, check it out at Banknote Heaven.

The denomination or “face value” shows the type of currency and how much the banknote is worth.

There are some inflationary notes issued by countries with hyperinflation times. Those notes have abnormally high denominations.

The bill below is from Yugoslavia and it has a face value of 500 million Dinara.

Watermark - Begginers Guide (7)

By Liliana E. González

@LilianaElena

This post is part of the book Beginner’s Guide To Collect Paper Money, check it out at Banknote Heaven.

A watermark is put onto a banknote's paper prior to the printing process as a security device. Watermarks look as a blank spot on a bill. You can see a watermark holding up the banknote to the light.

The note below has the Tutankhamen’s mask as a watermark at right.