How old for $100 bill significance?

Just received an "older" $100 bill from the bank. It's a 1969A. Nothing fancy about the SN. But it's the oldest I've ever had in-hand.

Is this a keeper at all?

Just curious when this denomination becomes "interesting" enough to collect?

Thanks.

 

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Give it another century or so.

Chris

 

I've only kept three $100 bills received in circulation (actually, while working). Two are WWII era FRNs with the Morganthau signature, and one is a red seal US note from 1966. I've probably lost money holding them due to inflation over the past 20 years, but I still find them interesting.

 

I had forgotten all about red seals; haven't seen one (of any denomination) for years and years.

 

Were any of the $100 notes signed by Barr? They were a short lived series.

 

Joe only signed 1963B one dollar bills.....no other denomination

For obvious reasons, $100 note collectors are usually very fussy. It's hard to make sense of holding on to a $100 note unless it is a fancy serial number, (@Cmcart would know), uncirculated or a rare star note. Condition makes up a good portion of it's value especially if you collect the limited series of 1966 and 1966A Legal Tenders. Some modern $100 Star notes have value. I searched for almost a year trying to find a decent example of a 1996 Cleveland $100 Star note (160,000 printed) and ended up having to buy an Almost Uncirculated example. It still cost me around $600.



Low serial number $100 notes are also valuable, even when in circulated condition.

 

Thanks, I'm not big on notes and could also not remember the time frame.

 

The 1969 is cool, small head. But I think you have to go back one more series to get a premium over face. But you know you can always sell it on EBAY for 110, minus auction fee, PayPal fee, shipping cost, you could get $90.

 

Or you could, umm, buy about 70 silver dimes with a C-note...

 

I usually only keep Series 1934 notes, but do keep them as "emergency money", anything later unless it is a short run star note I don't bother keeping. The Series 1928 do have a have a little bit of a premium pricewise and I keep those as collectables.

 

My take on anything unusual is to keep it. I like to have cash around, outside the banking system. I don't normally expect to spend it - it is emergency money. But if I am going to do that why not do it in interesting notes ..... just in case.

It will probably amount to nothing, but what the heck. If I'm going to keep some money around anyway ...

 

Everyone's financial situation is different, but that $100 note is still going to be worth $100, whether you physically hold the note, or weather it's a set of digits on your next bank statement. As a collector, I would point out that if no one sees any value in saving old, small-head $100 notes now, then they will probably be scarce and collectible in years to come. If you need the hundred dollars for bills, so be it. Otherwise, why not keep and preserve it?

 

^^^ The problem with that theory is this. Let's say you hold that note for 20 years and now you can sell it for $105. $100 today is around 2x more valuable than $105 20 years from now.

 

Plus, the 20-year calculation ignores inflation, and, compounding.

Your $100 compounded @ 5% for 20 years is roughly $265. If someone cannot consistently net 5% per year flipping coins and making astute purchases, they should take up knitting.

On the other hand, far into the future, we should expect annual inflation rates well in excess of 5%, which eats up the compounding gain and more too. Don't buy into the deflation argument, except in a few vulnerable types of merchandise.

Remember, you buy gold as an alternative way of holding dollars, hopefully to preserve and/or amplify the purchasing power of your wealth. I don't believe in timing and trading.

Overall, however, this is why the "War on Cash" is gaining traction, especially in the European Union, drastically cutting unreported income and giving the various government tight control over YOU and your "unrecorded" financial activity.

 

Small head Bens. Ah the good ol days. Solid design all around, American icon, heavily counterfeited. I would keep it. It'll be long lost soon enough. I'm a series collector and have small heads from 1928 - 1993, big heads 1996-now, gold certs, FRBN, USN, nationals. Love to show my kids the evolution of US currency. 2020 will introduce yet another change in our currency.

 

I come across red seal $2's and $5's every once in awhile. My last find was late last month, a Series 1963 $5.

 

The OP is asking about a 1969A note. When comparing to other FRNs from the surrounding series, this series is more rare than 1969 notes and the series before that (1963A) does not even begin to compare. When it comes to the 1969x series for $100 notes, 1969A notes had the smallest printing and are the rarest of them all. Depending on condition and district (J is the rarest), this note is undoubtedly a keeper and potentially worth well over face value.

 

There is a series 1966 between the 1963 and 1969. Although the red seal is a US Note and the green seals are Fed Reserve notes.
The black book shows no difference in the values for the 1969 and the 1969a in circulated condition. In fact the uncirc. 69 are worth more than the 69-a.
When millions of notes are printed from every district, I hardly consider that rare. Please show all the print runs for 1969 and 1969-a from every district.
Again, in terms of economics, it's not worth keeping a bill for 20 years to get a little over face value for it. You end up losing money that way. This note is a spender. If you want to sock it away, that's your business. Collect what you like. You can't tell people what to do.

 

I'm so tired of people having to prove someone's opinion is wrong.

 

Can you say ignore? Because that's the list you're going on. I was just trying to be helpful in clarifying the differences between the series of the era.