{"id":7796,"date":"2026-05-29T11:04:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T11:04:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/findbullionprices.com\/blog\/?p=7796"},"modified":"2026-05-29T11:04:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T11:04:56","slug":"5000-and-10000-dollar-bill-value","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/findbullionprices.com\/blog\/5000-and-10000-dollar-bill-value\/","title":{"rendered":"$5,000 & $10,000 Bill Values: The Rarest US Currency Still Legal Tender"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The $5,000 and $10,000 bills are the rarest US currency you can legally own. Fewer than 350 of each denomination survive \u2014 342 and 336 known examples, respectively \u2014 most in institutional or advanced private collections. These aren’t notes you find at a coin show. They’re six-figure assets that trade through Heritage Auctions, Stack’s Bowers, and a handful of specialist dealers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both denominations were printed for the 1928 and 1934 series, last issued in 1945, and discontinued in 1969<\/a> alongside the $500<\/a> and $1,000<\/a>. They remain legal tender at face value \u2014 meaning you could deposit a $10,000 bill at your bank for $10,000, though doing so would be a $20,000 to $770,000 mistake depending on condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide is part of our US Paper Money Value Guide<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who Is on the $5,000 Bill?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

James Madison \u2014 the fourth President of the United States and principal author of the Constitution. Madison’s portrait appears on both the 1928 and 1934 Federal Reserve Notes, which are the only $5,000 bills that survive in meaningful numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An 1918 large-size $5,000 Federal Reserve Note also exists, but these are extraordinarily rare \u2014 fewer than a handful are known, and they almost never appear at auction. For practical purposes, the $5,000 bill market is the 1928 and 1934 small-size notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who Is on the $10,000 Bill?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Salmon P. Chase \u2014 Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury from 1861 to 1864. Chase established the national banking system, introduced the greenback, oversaw the first issuance of federal paper currency, and placed the motto “In God We Trust” on US coins. Lincoln later appointed him Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Chase also appeared on the very first $1 bill in 1862 \u2014 before George Washington. JPMorgan Chase, the bank, is named after him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Many $5,000 Bills Exist?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Approximately 342 five-thousand-dollar bills survive from combined print runs of just over 51,000 notes \u2014 a 0.7% survival rate. The PMG Population Report<\/a> lists 126 total examples across all catalog numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1928 series:<\/strong> Fewer than two dozen are known, from only five of the nine issuing districts. Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Minneapolis never issued 1928 $5,000 bills. The 1928 carries a premium over 1934, though both series are rare enough that condition matters more than vintage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1934 series:<\/strong> Printed for all twelve Federal Reserve districts except Minneapolis. About 100 are known to have escaped redemption. Most survive in About Uncirculated or better grades \u2014 these were bank-to-bank transfer notes, not pocket money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star notes:<\/strong> Not printed for $5,000 bills in either series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gold Certificates:<\/strong> A 1928 $5,000 Gold Certificate exists \u2014 the serial number one example is in the Smithsonian. No others have surfaced publicly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Many $10,000 Bills Exist?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Approximately 336 ten-thousand-dollar bills survive from combined print runs of just under 60,000 notes. The PMG Population Report lists about 120 certified examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1928 series:<\/strong> Only about eight are known, two in museums. The PMG Population Report lists just seven across all districts, with the finest certified examples bringing $384,000+ at auction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1934 series:<\/strong> Printed for every district except Minneapolis, known to exist from all except Cleveland. Most surviving 1934 $10,000 bills are from the New York district, and many trace back to the Binion Hoard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Binion Hoard:<\/strong> In 1964, casino owner Benny Binion mounted 100 Series 1934 $10,000 Federal Reserve Notes inside a golden horseshoe display at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino<\/a> in downtown Las Vegas. The display drew more than 5 million visitors over 34 years. When the Binion family split in the late 1990s, the collection was sold to a coin dealer at an undisclosed price \u2014 roughly four times face value, according to people familiar with the sale. Those 100 notes represented about a third of all surviving $10,000 bills. Binion Hoard notes are identifiable by poor centering and mounting damage, and trade at a discount to non-Binion examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star notes:<\/strong> Not printed for $10,000 bills in either series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gold Certificates:<\/strong> A 1928 $10,000 Gold Certificate was printed, but only one is known \u2014 it’s in the Smithsonian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are They Worth?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

$5,000 Bill Values<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Series<\/th>Condition<\/th>Approximate Value<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1928 FRN<\/td>Extremely Fine (EF 40)<\/td>$200,000\u2013$250,000<\/td><\/tr>
1928 FRN<\/td>Gem Uncirculated (65 EPQ)<\/td>$780,000 (Sept 2024 Heritage record)<\/td><\/tr>
1934 FRN<\/td>Heavily Circulated<\/td>$30,000\u2013$50,000<\/td><\/tr>
1934 FRN<\/td>Very Fine (VF 25\u201335)<\/td>$50,000\u2013$145,000<\/td><\/tr>
1934 FRN<\/td>Choice Uncirculated (CU 64)<\/td>$190,000\u2013$315,000<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Federal Reserve district matters. A 1928 Kansas City $5,000 (one of two known from that district) sold for $228,000 in EF 40 \u2014 roughly the same grade from a common district would bring less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

$10,000 Bill Values<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Series<\/th>Condition<\/th>Approximate Value<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
1928 FRN<\/td>About Uncirculated (AU 53)<\/td>$384,000 (Sept 2024 Heritage)<\/td><\/tr>
1934 FRN<\/td>Poor to Very Good<\/td>$30,000\u2013$60,000<\/td><\/tr>
1934 FRN<\/td>Very Fine<\/td>$60,000\u2013$100,000<\/td><\/tr>
1934 FRN<\/td>Choice Uncirculated (CU 64 EPQ)<\/td>$480,000 (Sept 2023 Heritage record)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With only eight known 1928 examples \u2014 two in museums \u2014 pricing is more negotiation than market comparison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notable Auction Results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

$5,000 bill, $780,000 (September 2024):<\/strong> A 1928 $5,000 FRN from the Richmond district, graded PMG 65 Gem Uncirculated EPQ, set the record for any Small Size Federal Reserve Note<\/a> at Heritage Auctions. It was the sole finest-graded 1928 $5,000 in the PMG census.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

$10,000 bill, $480,000 (September 2023):<\/strong> A 1934 $10,000 FRN from the Boston district, PMG CU 64 EPQ, sold at Heritage<\/a>. Tied for the highest-graded $10,000 bill in the PMG population at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

$10,000 bill, $384,000 (September 2024):<\/strong> A 1928 $10,000 FRN from the Richmond district, PMG 53 AU, realized $384,000 at the same Heritage sale \u2014 the second-finest certified out of just seven 1928 $10,000 bills in the PMG census.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

$5,000 bill, $228,000 (September 2024):<\/strong> A 1928 $5,000 FRN from Kansas City, PMG 40 EF, one of only two known from that district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

$5,000 bill, $144,000 (March 2024):<\/strong> A 1934 $5,000 FRN from Chicago, PMG 35 Choice VF, realized $144,000 at Stack’s Bowers<\/a>. A mid-grade note bringing six figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Condition premiums at this level are enormous. The gap between a VF-35 and a Gem 65 on the same denomination: $144,000 vs. $780,000. PMG or PCGS certification is essential \u2014 no one buys a six-figure note raw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buying and Selling $5,000 and $10,000 Bills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These notes don’t trade on eBay. The market runs through Heritage Auctions (highest volume, most public price records), Stack’s Bowers, and private treaty sales through specialist dealers. Many transactions happen privately, with prices benchmarked to recent auction results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every note at this level should be PMG or PCGS certified. The same grading principles<\/a> that apply to Pre-1933 gold coins apply here \u2014 third-party grading confirms both authenticity and condition. If you’ve inherited or found one, get it graded before selling. The spread between a raw note and a certified note can easily be $10,000+.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The $100,000 Bill \u2014 Why You Can’t Own One<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The $100,000 Gold Certificate \u2014 featuring Woodrow Wilson \u2014 is the highest denomination the US ever produced. You can’t own one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing<\/a> produced 42,000 notes between December 1934 and January 1935, exclusively for gold-value transfers between Federal Reserve Banks. They never circulated publicly. Most were destroyed. The survivors remain government property, with a handful on display at the Smithsonian, the BEP in Washington, and the Federal Reserve Banks in Richmond and San Francisco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How These Compare to Other High-Denomination Bills<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Denomination<\/th>Portrait<\/th>Known Survivors<\/th>Starting Value<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
$500<\/a><\/td>McKinley<\/td>~75,000<\/td>$650\u2013$900<\/td><\/tr>
$1,000<\/a><\/td>Cleveland<\/td>~165,000<\/td>$1,500\u2013$2,200<\/td><\/tr>
$5,000<\/td>Madison<\/td>~342<\/td>$30,000+<\/td><\/tr>
$10,000<\/td>Chase<\/td>~336<\/td>$30,000+<\/td><\/tr>
$100,000<\/td>Wilson<\/td>~few dozen<\/td>Not legally available<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The jump from $1,000 to $5,000 is a 5x increase in face value but a 480x decrease in surviving population. The $1,000 bill<\/a> is accessible to serious collectors at $1,500+. The $5,000 and $10,000 start at $30,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related<\/h2>\n\n\n\n