I've done some research but have been unable to find an exact answer, so I pose the question to my fellow collectors. How are the serial numbers applied to the one dollar bill? I think they are rotating wheels with 0 through 9 on it, but then how does one explain these serial number oddities. After going through 100 dollar bills, I found that on these six bills the third number appears to be larger, or have accepted more ink. They are not all the same digit and the FRB doesn't seem to matter as these are from three different branches. Thoughts, comments. Please help educate me.
Thanks Michael. I figured it was a worn wheel that needed to be replaced as just about all of them are 2013 notes, but one was on a 2009 bill.
Was unable to find the answer you seek. Sometimes a number will be over inked, but to be the same one, like you said it must be the same part making the same over inking.
It could be that the back packing paper material could have had a foreign matter behind it. The plate's blanket could have had a flat spot in some areas, and they used a blanket fix to raise the area. Or the number the counter indexing part was worn out, or that was damaged during production.
We've been seeing these overinked third digits ever since the BEP started numbering currency on LEPE. Not sure exactly why they happen, but they're characteristic of the new system for some reason. It's been pointed out that the LEPE numbering heads are able to print serials with up to *four* prefix letters, so that third digit would be in the exact center of the thirteen-character cylinder. Might be some significance to that if we knew the details of how the ink flows to the numbering head, but I don't.
