'An Absolute Prize': Rare Great Depression $10,000 Bill Sells For Nearly $500,000 The $10,000 bill is from 1934 and was never in circulation.
By Madeline Garfinkle •
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It's true that many things accrue value with age — even money.
A rare $10,000 bill from 1934, dating back to the Great Depression, sold at auction last week for almost half a million dollars.
The bill featuring President Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase, was sold for $480,000 at the Long Beach Expo U.S. Coins Signature Auction in Dallas, hosted by Heritage Auctions. The sale surpasses the former $384,000 record-high of a similar bill that sold in September 2020.
The $10,000 bill features Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase. Heritage Auctions.
This $10,000 bill was also never in circulation, according to the Heritage Auction listing, and was discontinued along with other high-denomination currency notes in 1969. The $100 bill has since become the highest-denomination note issued in the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Engraving & Printing.
Dustin Johnston, vice president of currency at Heritage Auctions, noted in a press release on Monday that large-denomination notes have "always" attracted collectors' interest.
"This is an absolute prize that will command a share of the spotlight in its new collection home," Johnston added.
The $10,000 note is certified by Paper Money Guaranty (PMG) and received an Exceptional Paper Quality (EPQ) grade.
