Series Letters in Serial Numbers (Series 1996 and Later)
Quick answer
On redesigned $5 to $100 notes the first serial-number letter stands for the series year. The table from A (1996) to M (2013), and what to know about later letters.
Updated 2026-09-10 · Sources: bep.gov
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Download on the App StoreWhat are the key facts?
- Applies to: $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 from each note's first redesign onward
- Not on: $1 and $2, which keep the single-letter format
The table
- A — Series 1996
- B — Series 1999
- C — Series 2001
- D — Series 2003
- E — Series 2004
- F — Series 2003A
- G — Series 2004A
- H — Series 2006
- I — Series 2006
- J — Series 2009
- K — Series 2006A
- L — Series 2009A
- M — Series 2013
- N, P, Q — Series 2017, 2017A and 2021 according to collector references; the BEP table we could open stops at Series 2013
Series year versus printing year
The series year printed on a note is the year its design or signatures were adopted, not the year it was printed. A suffix letter after the year, such as 2017A, marks a change of Treasurer or Secretary signatures within the same design.
FAQ
My $1 bill has one letter; which series is it?
Read the series year printed on the face, next to the portrait; the single serial letter is the bank, not the series.
Why are I and O treated differently?
I is used as a series letter (Series 2006 on some denominations), while O is skipped because it looks like zero.
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Sources
Compiled by the NoteLens editorial team
Every fact on this page is taken from the sources listed above; numbers and prices are copied from the source, and prices name the guide or auction and its date. Research and drafting were assisted by AI, and each claim was then checked against the cited sources. Checked 2026-09-10. We do not buy, sell or grade items; the app identifies what you photograph and points you to these references.