Duplicate Serial Number Guide — Project 2013B
Purpose: How to identify, verify, and submit Series 2013B duplicate serial-number star notes and what to expect if a match is found.Last updated:
1. What is the Duplicate Serial Number Error?
A unique printing error by the U.S. Treasury caused some Series 2013 $1 bills to be accidentally printed twice—once in Washington, D.C., and again in Fort Worth, Texas—creating collectible matched pairs with identical serial numbers. Project 2013B is the leading initiative for cataloging the serial numbers of these rare New York (B) District Star Notes. Our database is searched daily, and when a match is found, we confirm the pair by requiring photo proof before sharing contact details between the two co-owners. This process completes the rare set, which once joined and authenticated, routinely sells at auction for hundreds, and often thousands, of dollars.
Since its launch in 2021, Project 2013B has cataloged over 80,000 serial numbers, leading to the confirmation of more than 190 matched pairs. To date, the sale of just a portion of these matched pairs has already generated over $195,000 in total hammer prices at auction for the sellers.
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| Matched pair of 2013B $1 star notes with identical serial numbers — a rare printing error |
2. Valid Serial Number Ranges
Only notes whose serial numbers fall within the following ranges are considered part of the Fort Worth duplication event tracked by Project 2013B:
- B00000001* to B00250000*
- B03200001* to B09600000*
If your note’s serial number is outside these ranges, it was not duplicated by Fort Worth for this particular error event and therefore is not treated as part of this Project 2013B duplicate-range set.
3. Identifying Features
To verify a suspect duplicate star note, check the following:
- Series: Must be a Series 2013 dollar bill. The series is shown to the bottom right of Washington's portrait.
- Serial prefix/suffix: The leading letter must be a
B and the serieal number must end with a trailing star (*). - Star symbol: Presence of the star after the serial number indicates a replacement note (star note).
- Facility indicators: Fort Worth-produced notes start with an "FW" in the face plate text — if the "FW" is missing, it is a Washington, D.C. produced note.
- Seal / Federal Reserve mark: Confirm the Federal District Seal has the
B designation (for New York).
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| Key identifiers on a 2013B $1 star note: serial number, New York seal, plate position, and series year |
4. Value & What Affects It
The market value of duplicate star notes (especially matched pairs) depends on several factors:
- Condition / grade: Higher grades (uncirculated, pristine) dramatically increase value.
- Matched pair completeness: A matched pair consists of the Fort Worth and the Washington D.C. printed notes with identical serial numbers.
- Serial low-ness: Very low serial numbers (e.g., 00000001) generally attract premium bids.
- Rarity / supply: As fewer matched pristine pairs are available, scarcity pushes prices up.
- Auction demand: Final sale prices depend on the auction house, presentation, provenance, and current collector interest.
Historical auction results have varied widely: conservatively, matched pairs have sold from $500 to $25,000 US dollars as of September 2025. It is quite conceivable the price could surpass $25,000 if a pair is found where both notes are in pristine condition. A running list of known auctions and their final bids is on this website's Auction History page.
5. How to Participate / Submit Your Note
To register a suspected duplicate star note with Project 2013B:
- Confirm the series and that the serial number falls in the valid ranges.
- Go to the Project 2013B Submit page and follow the submission form instructions. If you have over 20 notes, use the Bulk Submission process.
- Provide accurate contact information. Project 2013B relies on contact data to notify you of a match.
- Keep you banknote protected. Consider buying a currency sleeve in our store.
- Check your email's SPAM folder. Notifications that you have a potential match sometimes end up there. There are MANY people we are still waiting to hear back from (as shown on our Missing-In-Action webpage)
6. Match Process & What Happens After a Match
When a submitted serial number finds a counterpart from the other facility, Project 2013B follows this process:
- Both submitting owners are contacted privately using their supplied contact information (Project 2013B does not disclose private contact details publicly).
- Each owner is required to send photo-proof that they possess the banknote that they submittied.
- The photos are verified (valid serial number, star note, valid series year, valid front and backplate information, etc)
- Once the match is verified, I will share each person's contact information with the other so they can connect directly and negotiate amongst themselves.
- As a courtesy I give the owners 5 different options on how they could procede, the pros and cons of each option, as well as information that non-collectors are not aware of such as the cost of having the notes graded, etc.
7. Project History & Coverage
Project 2013B builds on earlier efforts by the Zegers-Winograd Project which consisted of the two collectors who first discovered the error by looking at the production records of the two facilities used by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (which is responsible for printing all US paper currency). In 2021, when the Zegers-Winograd Project had to shut down due to health reasons, Project 2013B was created and picked up where that project left off, with initial guidance from Mr. Winograd.
Since 2021, Project 2013B has grown the database from roughly 10,000 serial numbers to over 80,000 and is growing daily. As of September 2025, the project has verified over 193 matched pairs—each confirmed by photo evidence from both owners. A running list of all known matched pairs is located on the Completed Pairs page, and includes pairs confirmed by the earlier Zegers-Winograd Project as well as ones 'found in the wild' on various auction websites.
8. Answers to Common Questions
- What is a “star note”?
- A star note is a replacement banknote printed to replace a defective or damaged note in production. It is identified by a star (*) at the end of the serial number.
- Why only those serial number ranges?
- Those ranges represent the set of serial numbers duplicated by the Fort Worth facility during this specific print event. Notes outside those ranges are not part of the Fort Worth duplication event tracked here.
- Are all duplicate notes equally valuable?
- No. Condition, whether a matched pair exists, low serial numbers, and market demand all influence value.
- Can I sell a single note?
- Yes — single notes are salable. However, matched pairs typically command higher interest and higher prices at auction.
- What if I submitted before but had no contact info?
- Older submissions lacking contact info may have been purged. Please resubmit with valid contact details to be included in the active database. Any submission that does not contain contact information is automatically rejected.
- Do you have a list of other Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)?
- Yes — FAQ.
9. Quick Checklist (printable)
Use this short checklist when evaluating and preparing a submission:
- Series = 2013
- Serial number begins with B and ends with a * (star note)
- Serial number within valid ranges listed above
- B00000001* to B00250000* OR
- B03200001* to B09600000*
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