Why this $20 bill sold for nearly 20,000 times its value

(NEXSTAR) — We all like to ponder whether our money can make us even more money. Sometimes it can. Some state quarters, for example, may be worth hundreds of dollars to collectors. Certain pennies and nickels can even bring in a few bucks. 

But in some cases, there’s a banknote or coin that sells at auction for far more than its printed worth. Even thousands of dollars more. 

If you collect currency, you already know the value some coins and dollars can carry.

Some of the most well-known examples are error prints or unplanned variations. 

Take, for example, the Wisconsin state quarter. Produced during the U.S. Mint’s 10-year state quarter program, there were about 453.2 million Wisconsin quarters minted (the third-fewest of any state). 

On some of those Badger State quarters, the ear of corn sprouted an extra leaf on the left side, either in a “high” or “low” position. It’s not clear how the variation occurred, but quarters sporting the bonus greenery have sold for hundreds or thousands of dollars. 

Another seemingly unintended error proved especially valuable for one $20 bill, increasing its value by nearly 20,000. 

As the story goes, a college student in Ohio went to an ATM to withdraw some cash during the summer of 2004. They received what looked like a normal $20, only to find a little extra greenery: a Del Monte banana sticker (here’s how you can tell it’s a banana sticker) plastered next to President Andrew Jackson’s face. You can see the bill below:

That same year, the student turned a profit on the bill, selling it for around $10,000 on eBay after 12 bids, according to Numismatic News. 

Some believe the sticker was intentionally placed on the $20 bill by an employee at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s Fort Worth, Texas, facility, explains Paper Money Guaranty. The money grading company points to the fact that the facility’s cafeteria “are separate from the note-printing area.”

Still, we don’t know exactly how the sticker became affixed to the bill. We do, however, know that it landed on there after the first two of three prints. It’s during the third print that the serial number and Treasury seal is added to the bills, which is why both appear over the sticker. 

Regardless of how it happened, “The Del Monte Note” became beloved by collectors, Dustin Johnston, the director of auctions for Heritage Auctions explained in a 2005 press release. 

The note hit the auction block in January 2006, where it sold for $25,300, according to Heritage Auctions. 

Two years ago, the $20 note was auctioned again, but this time, it sold for much, much more: $396,000 to be exact. There were nearly 50 bids for the banknote, Heritage Auctions reports. The winning bidder ultimately had to outlast “a determined phone bidder and two other live internet bidders,” the auction house explained. 

The record-breaking sale made the $20 bill the most valuable error banknote ever sold, Johnston said in 2021. 

There have been other errors like this, which are referred to as obstructions. Items that have found their way onto banknotes include a Band-Aid, paper fragments, tape, and wood shavings, according to Heritage Auctions. 

Unfortunately, unless you have one of these unique errors or sought-after serial numbers, the money in your wallet or piggy bank probably isn’t worth much more than its intended value. If you do believe you have a special banknote or collectible coin, it’s best to reach out to verified currency experts. Or, you can try your luck with eBay.