By private appointment · Mon to Sat, 10am to 6pm
Sell Old Paper Money in Chicago
We buy old paper money from sellers across Chicago and the suburbs, including silver certificates, large-size notes, star notes and National Bank Notes from Chicago and Illinois banks. Each note gets its own price on a written offer.
- Free appraisal
- No obligation
- Paid same day
Prefer to talk? Call (773) 241-8624
Get your free offer
Tell us what you have. We call back the same business day.
$100M+ in gold and coins bought
How old paper money is priced
Paper money has no metal value, so every note is priced on what collectors pay for it. We look at the type of note, its series, the serial number and its condition, then check price guides, dealer wholesale sheets and recent auction results.
Folds, tears, stains and missing corners all lower the price. Common notes in worn condition often sell close to face value.
What sets the price of an old note
- Large-size notes, issued before 1929, usually draw more collector interest than the smaller notes that followed.
- A star next to the serial number marks a replacement note, which collectors look for.
- National Bank Notes are priced on the issuing bank and its charter number, and small-town Illinois banks draw strong interest.
- Crisp notes with no folds bring far more than notes that were carried and spent.
- Silver certificates are redeemable only at face value today, so any price above face comes from collectors.
Paper money we buy
- Silver certificates
- Large-size notes
- Star notes
- Red seal United States Notes
- Chicago National Bank Notes
- Illinois National Bank Notes
- Older Federal Reserve Notes
- Currency albums and binders
Old currency from Chicago and Illinois banks
Old currency in Chicago homes usually turns up folded in a wallet or pressed flat inside a book, put away by someone decades ago. People who want to sell paper money in Chicago often bring a few silver certificates and one or two older notes they cannot identify. We price every note and write it down, including the ones worth only face value, so the list covers everything you brought.
The notes with the clearest local tie are National Bank Notes, issued from 1863 to 1935. Each one carries the name of the bank that issued it and that bank's charter number.
Banks in Chicago issued them, and so did banks in towns all over Illinois. Collectors look for Illinois notes, and the ones from small-town banks draw especially strong interest.
You can read a National Bank Note yourself before you call. The bank's name, its town and its charter number are all printed on the face of the note.
Tell us the town and the series year when you book. If you have several notes from the same bank, keep them together in one envelope.
Large-size notes, issued before 1929, are noticeably bigger than the bills in your wallet, and they tend to surface in older estates from Hyde Park to Oak Park. Silver certificates are more common.
A bank will only give you face value for one today, so its price above face comes from collectors and depends on the series, the condition and whether a star sits next to the serial number. Small-size red seal notes are United States Notes and are priced the same way, by series and condition.
Please do not flatten, tape, iron or wash a note. Collectors price paper money closely on condition, and a repaired or cleaned note brings less than one left alone, folds and all. If notes came as a group with serial numbers in sequence, keep them in that order, because a run of consecutive notes can sell differently from the same notes split up.
We meet sellers from Bridgeport to Elmhurst by private appointment, Monday to Saturday between 10am and 6pm, and we call back the same day. Currency often comes out of an estate along with coins, so bring both and we will put everything on one written list. Accept the offer and you are paid the same day; decline it and the notes and the list stay with you.
How selling works
Three steps, usually done in one visit.
- 1
Tell us what you have
Send the form or call. We call back the same day and book a private appointment, Monday to Saturday.
- 2
Watch the appraisal
We check each coin's date, mint mark, grade and metal in front of you, then write the offer down line by line.
- 3
Get paid that day
Say yes and leave with cash, or a same-day wire for a large sale. Say no and keep everything.
Questions about selling paper money in Chicago
Where can I sell old paper money in Chicago?
Call (773) 241-8624 to book a private appointment, Monday to Saturday between 10am and 6pm. We buy silver certificates, large-size notes, star notes and National Bank Notes, and we set the meeting place when you book. Each note gets its own price on a written offer, and the appraisal is free with no obligation.
Are silver certificates worth more than face value?
Some are. A silver certificate can only be redeemed for face value today, so any premium comes from collectors. Worn, common notes often sell close to face.
Crisp notes and star notes can bring more, depending on the series. We look at each note's series, serial number and condition and price it on its own line.
What is a National Bank Note?
National Bank Notes were issued from 1863 to 1935 by local banks around the country. Each one carries the issuing bank's name and its charter number. Notes from Chicago banks and from small towns across Illinois draw collector interest, and the price depends on the bank behind the note and the condition of the paper.
What is a star note?
A star note is a replacement note, printed to take the place of a note spoiled during printing. You can spot one by the small star next to the serial number. Collectors look for them, and an older star note in crisp condition can sell above a regular note from the same series.
Should I flatten or clean old bills before I bring them?
Leave them as they are, folds and all. Pressing, taping or washing a note changes the paper, and collectors pay less for notes that have been repaired or cleaned. Keep them flat in an envelope or a book on the way to the appointment, and bring any coins you found with them so we can price everything together.
Where we buy paper money around Chicago
See what your coins are worth today
The offer is free, you're under no obligation, and we pay the same day you accept.
(773) 241-8624Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm
Get your free offer
Tell us what you have. We call back the same business day.