A primer on mismatched serial numbers
Two serial numbers are commonly present on banknotes. These values may not match due to human or mechanical mistake. A manual error occurs when the individual using the printing device neglects to set both number wheels to the same sequence before printing starts. It is a human error when Mismatched Serial Numbers have a discrepancy towards the start of the number. Here's the G55/54 mistake as an illustration:
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| starting with 55 vs. 54 |
The error above sold at auction on March 15, 2022 for $840.
Failure to Advance
It is frequently a mechanical fault when there is a mismatch at the conclusion of the serial number. This occurs when a numbering machine becomes stuck on a certain number and stops correctly advancing. The serial number error for this 1963 $1 Federal Reserve Note (New York) is B57476899A vs. B57476900A, and the difference between the two numbers is 1. This note sold for $1050 at a Stack's Bowers auction in April 2022.
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| Ending with 900 vs. 899 |
Another manual error type
Manual error may also be the cause of mismatched Serial Numbers near the end of the number. With these two 1935A $1 Silver Certificates that PMG encased jointly, that appears to be the case. Mismatched Serial Number Error: T30211030C and T30211060C, a discrepancy of 30 is present on the first note. Usually, it is impossible to determine which number was manually entered wrongly. However, the serial number on the second note is the same as the one on the mistake note's right side. These 2 notes, paired together, fetched $3,360 at a Stack's Bowers auction in April, 2022.
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| Should it be ending with 030 or 060? |
An Error on an Error
Recently a 2013 Star Note whose serial number was in the correct range to be one half of a duplicated serial number pair was shown on a YouTube channel. The surprising part was that this production error note also featured a mismatched serial number!
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| Wait.... What? |
Since this appears to be the 3rd type of mismatch error mentioned in the primer, it begs the question, is there a note out there that has the serial number 08492894 printed in both serial number locations like it should be? Or does the note exist for the other serial number; 08493894? Heck, maybe BOTH of these exist!? The above note was submitted to the 2013B database last March, but using only one of the serial numbers. I have added the other serial number in order to 'catch' any potential matches in the future. Both serial numbers have a note in the comments column of the PDF list, marking them as a mismatched serial number note.
Today's homework:
Check your 2013 star notes to see if you have this error! Remember to look for all 3 types of mismatched numbers (the first digit, the ending digits being different, and the type where a number near end digit is different). Simply put, the bottom-left serial number should be identical to the top-right serial number, otherwise you have this mismatched serial number error, on top of the already 'duplicate serial number production error' between the Washington DC and Fort Worth printed bills. What a mouthful!
Useful Links
Serial Number Submission Form: https://bit.ly/submit2013b
Project 2013B Database: http://bit.ly/3KNpX3I
Collector Resources and Supplies: http://bit.ly/3DPo2Y7
My Coin Shop: https://bit.ly/thecoinshop
My store (currency themed items): https://rdbl.co/3Ms0Jp8
My store (general themed items): https://1zin.short.gy/2013store
