‘An Absolute Prize’: Rare Great Depression $10,000 Bill Sells For Nearly $500,000

The $10,000 bill is from 1934 and was never in circulation.

By Madeline Garfinkle Sep 22, 2023

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

It’s true that many things accrue value with age — even money.

A rare $10,000 bill from 1934, dating back to the Great Depression, sold at auction last week for almost half a million dollars.

The bill featuring President Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase, was sold for $480,000 at the Long Beach Expo U.S. Coins Signature Auction in Dallas, hosted by Heritage Auctions. The sale surpasses the former $384,000 record-high of a similar bill that sold in September 2020.

The $10,000 bill features Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase. Heritage Auctions.

This $10,000 bill was also never in circulation, according to the Heritage Auction listing, and was discontinued along with other high-denomination currency notes in 1969. The $100 bill has since become the highest-denomination note issued in the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Engraving & Printing.

Dustin Johnston, vice president of currency at Heritage Auctions, noted in a press release on Monday that large-denomination notes have “always” attracted collectors’ interest.

“This is an absolute prize that will command a share of the spotlight in its new collection home,” Johnston added.

Related: Woman Buys $4 Painting at Thrift Store, Finds Out It’s an Authentic N.C. Wyeth and Sells For $191,000

The $10,000 note is certified by Paper Money Guaranty (PMG) and received an Exceptional Paper Quality (EPQ) grade.

It’s true that many things accrue value with age — even money.

A rare $10,000 bill from 1934, dating back to the Great Depression, sold at auction last week for almost half a million dollars.

The bill featuring President Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase, was sold for $480,000 at the Long Beach Expo U.S. Coins Signature Auction in Dallas, hosted by Heritage Auctions. The sale surpasses the former $384,000 record-high of a similar bill that sold in September 2020.

The $10,000 bill features Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase. Heritage Auctions.

This $10,000 bill was also never in circulation, according to the Heritage Auction listing, and was discontinued along with other high-denomination currency notes in 1969. The $100 bill has since become the highest-denomination note issued in the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Engraving & Printing.

Dustin Johnston, vice president of currency at Heritage Auctions, noted in a press release on Monday that large-denomination notes have “always” attracted collectors’ interest.

“This is an absolute prize that will command a share of the spotlight in its new collection home,” Johnston added.

Related: Woman Buys $4 Painting at Thrift Store, Finds Out It’s an Authentic N.C. Wyeth and Sells For $191,000

The $10,000 note is certified by Paper Money Guaranty (PMG) and received an Exceptional Paper Quality (EPQ) grade.

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Madeline Garfinkle is a News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate from Syracuse University, and received an MFA from Columbia University.

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