I got this Dollar bill in change today and noticed that the upper-right serial number has a digit misaligned. I don't recall ever seeing a misaligned serial number before. Is this a common error?
Please don't quote me or anything, but I believe misaligned digits are quite common and carry very little to no premium unless the misalignment is much more drastic. However, @SteveInTampa should have a more concrete answer for you.
This is a very minor misprint. Collectors call this a stuck digit or a gas pump error. The low serial number occurs because the numbers on the serial number roller gets stuck or jammed. For those of us who remember the non-digital gas displays, we can see why this misprint is sometimes called a gas pump error. These are neat to see, but they aren’t rare.
Thanks! I also noticed that the "E" is slightly elevated relative to the "9"...as compared to the other serial number. Silly me...I would have thought the Bureau of Engraving would be more precise than an analog gas pump. Is this an error they would replace with a Star sheet if they found it? ...or is this so minor, they don't bother?
As already mentioned, having a single digit higher than the rest is fairly common. As the printing process takes place, the equipment that prints the serial number automatically advances the digits to make every serial number different. Generally, and certainly in the condition your note is in, there is no added value.
I’ve read that a stuck digit or turned digit occurs because of clogging of the numbering wheel on the cylinder that imprints the serial number. I wouldn’t call it common and I wouldn’t call it rare. It’s somewhere in the middle. The OP’s example would be considered minor.
It seems like something that would be common, but like you, I look at a lot of bills and don't recall seeing it before.
