You probably have one in your wallet right now. Or maybe it’s tucked into the side pocket of your car for emergency coffee runs. The 10 dollar bill 2017 series is one of those things we see so often that we completely stop looking at it. Honestly, most people just see Alexander Hamilton’s face and a splash of orange and move on with their day. But if you’re into paper money—or even if you’re just someone who likes the idea of finding a twenty-dollar bill in an old pair of jeans—there is actually a lot more going on with these notes than meets the eye.
Money is weird. We treat it as a tool, but it's also a high-security document and a piece of mass-produced art. When the 2017 series hit circulation, it didn't come with the fanfare of a redesign. It wasn't like the big colorful change we saw back in the mid-2000s. Instead, it was more of a "under the hood" update. It carries the signatures of Steven Mnuchin and Jovita Carranza. Those names might not mean much to you, but to a collector, they’re the DNA of the bill.
Why the 10 dollar bill 2017 series still matters to collectors
Most people think "old" equals "valuable." That’s not really how currency collecting (numismatics) works. A bill from 1950 might be worth exactly ten bucks if it looks like it’s been through a washing machine three times. Conversely, a crisp, uncirculated 10 dollar bill 2017 could be worth a significant premium if it has a specific quirk.
The 2017 series was printed during a transitional time for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). Because of this, we see some interesting variations in where these bills were born. If you look at the front of your bill, you’ll see a letter and a number indicating which Federal Reserve Bank issued it. A "K" means Dallas. An "L" means San Francisco. Some people try to collect a note from every single one of the 12 banks for a specific year. It’s like a scavenger hunt for adults who like Hamilton.
But let's be real: most of these are just worth ten dollars.
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Unless you find a "Star Note." You've probably heard of these. If there was a mistake during the printing process, the BEP can't just print the same serial number again on a new sheet. They replace the mangled sheet with a fresh one where the serial number ends with a little star symbol instead of a letter. In the 10 dollar bill 2017 run, some bank locations had much lower print runs for star notes than others. Low supply equals high demand. A "New York" (B) star note from this series in perfect condition can fetch $25 to $50 on eBay. Not a fortune, sure, but it's a 400% return on investment for just looking at your change.
The technical side of the 2017 series
The signatures are the big giveaway here. Steven Mnuchin was the Secretary of the Treasury and Jovita Carranza was the Treasurer of the United States. If you find a tenner with different names, it’s not a 2017 series. Simple as that.
One thing that trips people up is the "2017A" designation. You might see a 10 dollar bill 2017 and then another one that says "Series 2017 A." What's the difference? Basically, whenever there’s a change in the Treasurer of the United States but the Secretary of the Treasury stays the same, they add a letter. If the Secretary changes, they usually jump to a whole new year. It’s a bureaucratic quirk that creates a whole new sub-category for collectors to obsess over.
The paper itself is actually a blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen. That's why it feels "crisp" and doesn't fall apart when you accidentally leave it in your pocket during a heavy rain. If you hold your 2017 ten-dollar bill up to the light, you’ll see a faint image of Alexander Hamilton to the right of the large portrait. If that's missing, you either have a very rare error or—more likely—a counterfeit. Also, there's a security thread running vertically to the right of the portrait that glows orange under UV light. It's actually pretty cool to see if you have a blacklight handy.
Identifying rare serial numbers in your 10 dollar bill 2017
This is where the real money is. Serial numbers. People go absolutely nuts for "fancy" serial numbers.
Imagine you're at a gas station and the cashier hands you a 10 dollar bill 2017. You look at the number. It’s 00000005. That is a "low serial number." Collectors will pay hundreds, sometimes thousands, for single-digit or double-digit notes. Why? Because they are incredibly rare. Most bills start with high numbers or are lost in the billions of notes printed.
Then there are "Ladders." A ladder would be something like 12345678. Or "Radars," which read the same forward and backward, like 45677654. There are also "Solid" serial numbers where every digit is the same, like 88888888. If you find a solid 8 note in a 10 dollar bill 2017 series, you’ve essentially won a small lottery. Those can sell for $500 to $2,000 depending on the condition of the paper.
Condition is king.
If your bill has a "fancy" serial number but it's got a coffee stain and a tear in the corner, the value plummets. Collectors use a 70-point scale. A 70 is perfect. A 1 is basically a scrap of paper. Most bills in your wallet are probably around a 20 or 30. To get the high prices, you need a note that looks like it was just birthed by the printing press five minutes ago. No folds. No "counting crinkles." Nothing.
Common misconceptions about the 10 dollar bill 2017
I hear this all the time: "I found a bill where the ink is slightly darker, is it a mistake?" Usually, no. Ink density varies. It’s just part of the high-speed printing process.
Another big one is the "off-center" cut. People see a 10 dollar bill 2017 where the white border is wider on the top than the bottom and think they've found a gold mine. In reality, the BEP has pretty loose tolerances for what they consider "acceptable." Unless the cut is so bad that part of the neighboring bill's design is showing, it's generally not considered a valuable error. It's just a slightly sloppy cut.
What about the "2017" date? People often think the year on the bill is the year it was printed. Not true. The series year only changes when there's a significant design change or a change in the signatures of the Treasury officials. A 10 dollar bill 2017 could have actually been printed in 2018 or 2019. If you want to know the exact month and year your bill was made, you have to cross-reference the serial number ranges on the BEP’s official monthly production reports. It's a rabbit hole, believe me.
What to do if you think you have a valuable 10 dollar bill 2017
Don't go running to a pawn shop. They’ll likely offer you twelve bucks for a bill worth fifty.
First, buy some PVC-free plastic sleeves. If you think a bill is special, stop touching it with your bare hands. The oils on your skin can actually degrade the paper over time. Stick it in a sleeve to keep it flat and clean.
Second, check "Sold" listings on eBay. Not "Active" listings—people can ask for a million dollars for a grape, but that doesn't mean it'll sell. Look at what people actually paid for a 10 dollar bill 2017 with similar features.
Third, if you really think you have something worth hundreds of dollars, consider getting it graded by a service like PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) or PMG (Paper Money Guaranty). They will authenticate the bill, give it a numerical grade, and seal it in a hard plastic holder. This is the only way to get top dollar from serious collectors. It costs money to do this, so only do it if the bill is genuinely rare.
Real-world value examples
To give you an idea of what we're talking about, here's a rough breakdown of what a 10 dollar bill 2017 might be worth in today's market:
- Standard circulated bill: $10. (Obviously.)
- Standard uncirculated (perfect condition): $12 - $15.
- Common Star Note (circulated): $12 - $15.
- Common Star Note (uncirculated): $20 - $30.
- Rare District Star Note (uncirculated): $50+.
- Radar Serial Number (circulated): $25 - $40.
- Binary Serial Number (only two digits used, like 01001101): $50 - $100.
These numbers change. The market for paper money fluctuates just like the stock market. Right now, there's a lot of interest in "modern rarities" because they are still attainable. You don't have to be a millionaire to find a cool 10 dollar bill 2017. You just have to be observant.
Honestly, the best part of this hobby isn't even the money. It's the "hunt." It’s that split second when you’re waiting for your change at a grocery store and you see a star symbol or a weird string of numbers. It turns a boring errand into a tiny treasure hunt.
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Next time you're holding a 10 dollar bill 2017, take five seconds to really look at it. Check the serial number. Look for the star. Feel the texture of the "10" in the bottom right corner—it uses intaglio printing, so it should feel slightly raised or "bumpy." If nothing else, you'll have a better appreciation for the crazy amount of tech and artistry that goes into a piece of paper we usually just throw toward a vending machine.
Next Steps for Potential Collectors:
- Check your current cash: Scan your wallet for any 10 dollar bill 2017 notes and look for serial numbers that repeat, run in sequence, or end in a star.
- Invest in a "Blue Book": Purchase a copy of A Guide Book of United States Paper Money by Arthur and Ira Friedberg. It is the industry standard for identifying values and varieties.
- Visit the BEP website: Look up the "Production Reports" to see how many tens were printed for your specific bank district in the 2017 series. This tells you exactly how rare your bill actually is.
- Join a community: Websites like Paper Money Forum or even specific subreddits can help you identify if a "weird" bill is a genuine error or just a dirty note.