The 1950 $10 Bill: What It’s Worth, How to Sell, and More

How much is a 1950 $10 bill worth? Currency collectors are willing to pay considerable sums for bills that have unusual misprints or unique serial numbers. In this article, we focus on the 1950 $10 bill and the specific aspects that can increase its value far beyond what it can buy at the store. Certain 1950 $10 bills are worth hundreds of dollars to the right collector. Is yours one of them?

If you’ve discovered a 1950 $10 bill, don’t get too excited just yet; there are several things you should take into account before attempting to sell it. Age alone doesn’t necessarily mean the bill is worth a lot of money. In fact, age as a standalone measure has little to do with value when pricing currency. But, there are a wide range of irregularities which can make a 1950 $10 bill valuable. When appraising your 1950 1950 $10 bill, keep an eye out for these rare characteristics:…

How Can You Tell the Condition of a 1950 $10 Bill?

If your 1950 $10 bill is in pristine condition, meaning it has never been folded, torn, and has no severe wear, it may be worth more than face value. There are five different series of the 1950 $10 bill (A, B, C, D, and E) but all of them will sell for relatively the same price if they are in mint condition. It’s worth noting that a 1950 $10 bill wasn’t necessarily printed in 1950. Unlike coins, which are identified by the year they’re minted, bills are identified by the year that the design was adopted. A letter (series 1950A, 1950B, etc.) is added for every minor change to that same design.

A mint condition 1950 $10 bill from series A-D will likely sell for around $20, while the series E ten-dollar bill may sell for about $35 because the E series is rarer than the others. If you have fifty or more consecutive ten dollar bills from 1950, meaning they were all printed one after the other, this could demand a small premium for the collection.

Which Serial Numbers Are Most Valuable?

Irregularities in your $10 bill’s serial number can occur during production and may make it valuable to collectors. Here is a list of the most popular serial oddities.

• Radar Example: C56788765A
• Flip Example: C00069000A
• Binary Example: C10100110A
• Solid Example: C44444444A
• Low serial number Example: C25225525A (Two or less digits featured)
• Stand Alone Example: C00300000A (One number surrounded by zeroes)
• Trailing Zeroes Example: C00000000A
• Repeater Example: C11171117A
• Ladder Example: C12345678A

In reference to the solid serial number, higher digits are rarer than lower digits, so higher digit solids will be worth more. And, if a solid serial number ends and begins with the same letters, this will only make the bill more attractive to buyers. Solid 9’s are extremely rare, so they are the most desirable, followed by solid 8’s. But, any solid serial number in good condition could earn you up to $500.

When it comes to ladder serial numbers, a true ladder contains all nine digits in ascending order. True ladders are only printed once every 96 million notes, so they are going to command a great premium. In fact, these bills are so rare that they deserve their own appraisal.

The repeater category includes binaries, ladders, or any type of serial number with three or more repeating digits.

Variations of all these serial oddities may increase the worth of a 1950 bill. There are so many variations that it’s hard to name an exact value for each one. But, if the bill is in excellent condition and contains an oddity, it will be worth more than face value.

How to Tell if You Have a Valuable Star Note

If there is a star after your bill’s serial number, this means the note was printed as a replacement for one damaged during production. These star notes were kept on hand and sent out as needed, so different star notes from different eras will vary in worth – based on how many were issued.

The most valuable star notes are those older than the year 1950, so in our case, having a 1950 $10 bill with a star on it is not enough to make it worth more than face value.

Why Doesn’t It Say “In God We Trust”?

If you have a 1950 $10, you might have noticed that something’s missing when compared to modern bills: the 1950-series $10 bill does not include the motto “In God We Trust.” These words were not added to the design of the $10 bill until the series after the 1950 design, the 1964 series. The same is true of the $1, $5, $10, and $20 denominations, which were not printed with the motto until 1964.

How to Identify Misprints That Increase Its Value

Misprinting refers to any errors that occurred during the printing process. It’s important to note that no misprint is unique. Often, when one mistake is made, many more notes are printed the same way before the problem is detected. So value is often based on the rarity of the misprint. If your $10 bill has a misprint that is quite common, it probably won’t increase its value by much, unless the bill is in mint condition. A common misprint on a wrinkled or folded ten-dollar bill will be disregarded by buyers.

Some examples of misprinting on 1950 $10 bills include incorrect seals, misplacement of correct seals, or any printing that obscures numbers. Over-inking or printing the front of the bill on the back, or vice versa, are also known misprints. A partial obstruction misprint means part of the image is missing; or maybe you have a bill where an image is missing altogether. The more severe the misprint, the more the note will be worth, so keep an eye out for the really bizarre ones!

Beware of the Upside Down Flag Myth

While doing research, you may hear that some 1950 $10 bills were printed with the American flag upside down. If you think the American flag on your bill is upside down, and if someone tells you that this will increase the value of the bill, don’t be too quick to believe them. The upside-down American flag is not considered an error, thus does not affect the value of the 1950 $10 in any way.

How Much Is It Worth?

So how much is a 1950 $10 bill worth exactly? If it is not in mint condition and does not have any unique identifiers, it’s only worth face value. The upside down American flag does not make its value increase since so many bills were printed that way. A mint condition 1950 $10 bill from series A-D will likely sell for around $20, double face value. While the series E $10 bill from 1950 is likely to sell for about $35 in mint condition. If you have any of the above listed serial number oddities, that $10 bill could be worth up to $500.

Where to Buy and/or Sell

The biggest platform is eBay. It’s straightforward, reaches a wide audience, and commissions are minimal.

Suggested Article: Here’s the Value of a 1950 $20 Bill