Error Notes

The Relative Rarity Index was developed by Dr. Frederick J. Bart. It places errors on small size notes into nine categories arranged from R-1, the most common, through R-9, the extremely rare.

FR-2011L | KL-20101 Obstructed Printing Error	Series 1950 A $10 Federal Reserve Note, Priest - Humphrey, Plate# P194/1494, S/N L78607554A PMG Choice Uncirculated 63 EPQ Relative Rarity Index: R-3
FR-1619 | KL-1462 MA Block with Inverted "W" instead of "M" in upper right serial number First of the 36 subject sheets	Series 1957 $1 Silver Certificate, Priest - Anderson, Plate# E376/203, S/N M19456858A Relative Rarity Index: R-7
FR-1619 | KL-1462 Mismatched Serial Numbers - G54/G55	Series 1957 $1 Silver Certificate, Priest - Anderson, Plate# E242/148, S/N G54441186A and G55441186A Relative Rarity Index: R-4
FR-1903F | KL-1506 Mismatched Serial Numbers - F67/F68	Series 1969 $1 Federal Reserve Note, Richmond, Elston - Kennedy, Plate# E95/1209, S/N F67921155A and F68921155A See $1 Federal Reserve Note Series 1969 Signatures Relative Rarity Index: R-4
FR-1903G | KL-1507 End of Roll Error	Series 1969 $1 Federal Reserve Note, Chicago, Elston - Kennedy, Plate# E149/1246, S/N G34496114C Relative Rarity Index: R-8 From United States Paper Money Errors: A Comprehensive Catalog & Price Guide by Dr. Frederick J. Bart: The end of roll error originates from markings or splices created by Crane and Co. This firm supplies the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) with currency stock. Markings take various forms. Until recently, an impregnated red or purple diagonal line indicated the end of the roll. Since the series of 1990, a matte green indicator strip forewarns the press operator. When the matte green marked paper is accidentally utilized for currency production, the marking appears vertically at one end correlating with a faulty alignment on the opposite side.
FR-1908E | KL-1577 Moderate Misaligned Overprint	Series 1974 $1 Federal Reserve Note, Richmond, Neff - Simon, Plate# H141/1861, S/N E94071809B Relative Rarity Index: R-3
FR-1908L | KL-1584 Back Plate 905 Engraving Error	Series 1974 $1 Federal Reserve Note, San Franciso, Neff - Simon, Plate# C232/905, S/N L98767012B PCGS Very Choice New 64PPQ Relative Rarity Index: R-4 The engraver accidentally omitted the first digit. The back plate number should have been 1905 instead of 905.
FR-1908K | KL-1583 Type 1 Inverted Overprint	Series 1974 $1 Federal Reserve Note, Dalls, Neff - Simon, Plate# E354/2008, S/N K41980059C PCGS Very Choice New 64PPQ Relative Rarity Index: R-5 An "Inverted Overprint" error is caused when a sheet of notes accidentally get turned around prior to receiving the overprint and the overprint is printed on the face of the note upside down. A "Type 1 Inverted Overprint" error has properly aligned face and back printing (registration). Whereas "Type 2 Inverted Overprint" errors has misaligned registration.
FR-1973J Mismatched Serial Numbers	Series 1974 $5 Federal Reserve Note, Kansas City, Neff - Simon, Plate# G124/196, S/N J36/35138602B PCGS Very Choice New 64PPQ Relative Rarity Index: R-5
FR-1909K | KL-1589 Misaligned Digit	Series 1977 $1 Federal Reserve Note, Richmond, Morton - Blumenthal, Plate# B1087/2332, S/N K06586819B Relative Rarity Index: R-4
FR-1909K | KL-1589 Minor Board Break on Face at Right James Wilson Collection	Series 1977 $1 Federal Reserve Note, Richmond, Morton - Blumenthal, Plate# G102/2338, S/N K41244004B PCGS Very Choice New 64PPQ Relative Rarity Index: R-3 Board Break Error from United States Paper Money Errors, 3rd Edition, by Dr. Federick J. Bart The designation "board break" refers to the error resulting from a partially broken impression cylinder. An impression cylinder forces the unprinted currency into the intaglio recesses of the printing plate. The impression cylinder, or rigging, carries a wooden external wrapper, rigid enough to ideally sustain the workload yet pliable enough to squeeze the currency sheet into the plate. The plate cylinder contains two or four thirty-two subject engraved printing plates. During the production of United States paper money, the currency sheet passes between the plate cylinder and the impression cylinder under 40 to 80 tons of pressure. Because the impression cylinder must endure such extreme pressure, areas occasionally become fatigued. The end result of such fatigue is failure as segments either compress into the cylinder or fall away. The disruption in the continuity of the impression cylinder yields an area incapable of pushing the currency paper into the incuse design on the plate cylinder. This produces a white unprinted area on the finished piece of paper money that correlates directly to the portion of the plate cylinder opposite the broken segment of the impression cylinder. Consequently, every note printed using the imperfect impression cylinder will exhibit the identical error—matching in size, shape, and location—unless the defect expands and/or until the rigging is replaced.
FR-1935B | KL-1628 Mismatched Block Letter Prefix	Series 1976 $2 Federal Reserve Note, New York, Neff - Simon, Plate# H49/48, S/N H45432464A/B45432464A PCGS Choice New 64 Apparent — Graded with "Apparent" designation due to minor rust stain in bottom margin. Relative Rarity Index: R-6
FR-1935B | KL-1628 Underinking of Single Digit in Serial Numbers	Series 1976 $2 Federal Reserve Note, New York, Neff - Simon, Plate# D20/21, S/N B09832799A Relative Rarity Index: R-3 Enlargement of the serial numbers reveals a faint amount of green ink for the missing digit in the upper right serial number.
FR-1910B | KL-1598 Overprint on Back	Series 1977 A $1 Federal Reserve Note, New York, Morton - Miller, Plate# F1832/2862, S/N B36858105K Relative Rarity Index: R-5
FR-1911E | KL-3504 4-Specimen Uncut Sheet Back Plate Error 7273	Series 1981 $1 Federal Reserve Note, Richmond, Buchanan - Regan, Plate# H188/, S/N E99879958F Relative Rarity Index: R-4 Notes printed for the Richmond Federal Reserve District in the H1 plate position had a back plate number of "7273" instead of "3273" (like the other three notes). The back plate numbers for this Series didn't even reach 4000. View Back
FR-1912H | KL-3607 Back Plate Number 129 Engraving Error	Series 1981 A $1 Federal Reserve Note, St. Louis, Ortega - Regan, Plate# H73/129, S/N H81542173B, 182,400,000 printed for the St. Louis Federal Reserve District Relative Rarity Index: R-4 Back Plate Number 129 Engraving Error — The pantograph operator inadvertently engraved back plate number 129 at the left instead of the normal right position.
FR-1978D Moderate Printed Fold Over	Series 1985 $5 Federal Reserve Note, Cleveland, Ortega - Baker, Plate# A371/312, S/N D92808511B Relative Rarity Index: R-5 The note was printed by the plate in the "A1" plate position (upper left corner of the sheet). The upper left corner was folded over during printing of the overprint and the overprint was printed on the fold over. The sheet was subsequently cut with the fold over. View the unfolded note
FR-2018L Solvent Smear on Back	Series 1969 $10 Federal Reserve Note, San Franciso, Elston - Kennedy, Plate# G72/89, S/N L49565528A Relative Rarity Index: R-4 PGCS Choice About New 55PPQ
FR-2027H Major Ink Smear on Back	Series 1985 $10 Federal Reserve Note, Saint Louis, Ortega - Baker, Plate# F443/465, S/N H83715226B Relative Rarity Index: R-4 PGCS Superb Gem New 67PPQ
FR-2075B | KL-3737 Missing Black Overprint	Series 1985 $20 Federal Reserve Note, New York, Ortega - Baker, Plate# H39/259, S/N B64707238A Missing Black Overprint Relative Rarity Index: R-5
FR-2075G | KL-3742 Missing Back Printing	Series 1985 $20 Federal Reserve Note, Chicago, Ortega - Baker, Plate# F469, S/N G96541091G PCGS About New 50 — Face of Note Relative Rarity Index: R-6 A "Missing Back Printing" error could have been caused by two sheets of paper sticking together during the printing process, leaving one side of one of the sheets unprinted.
Missing Second (Face) Printing	$20 Federal Reserve Note, S/N A30879298C PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ Relative Rarity Index: R-8
FR-1916L | KL-3867 Face Plate Number 106 Engraving Error	Series 1988 A $1 Federal Reserve Note, St. Louis, Villalpando - Brady, Plate# B209/154, S/N L11901137E Relative Rarity Index: R-4 Face Plate Number 106 was incorrectly engraved with larger numbers matching the correct size for notes printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, DC.
FR-2079B Moderate Printed Fold Over	Series 1993 $20 Federal Reserve Note, New York, Withrow - Bentsen, Plate# D9/347, S/N B27991487C PCGS Very Fine 30 Relative Rarity Index: R-5 Printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, DC.
FR-2079E Gutter Fold	Series 1993 $20 Federal Reserve Note, Richmond, Withrow - Bentsen, Plate# A64/4, S/N E94492773F Relative Rarity Index: R-3 PCGS Extremely Fine 45PPQ Printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, DC.
FR-1921D | KL-4238 Complete Face-to-Back (F2B) Offset Error	Series 1995 $1 Federal Reserve Note, Cleveland, Withrow - Rubin, Plate# C96/212, S/N D35604219C Relative Rarity Index: R-2 Normally a sheet is fed into the printing press and is physically pressed by an impression cylinder into the inked printing plate to produce the intaglio print. If there is some type of misfeed of the sheet, then the inked plates make direct contact with the impression cylinder and the inked impression of the plate sticks to the impression cylinder. The next sheet fed into the press receives the expected printed image, but the inked image on the impression cylinder is also printed on the opposite side of the sheet. The first few sheets have sharp images and each subsequent sheet eventually removes all the transfer ink on the impression cylinder. This note is a complete Face-to-Back, commonly abbreviated as "F2B" Offset (or Transfer) Error. The back of the note is printed first. When the face of the note was printed, the offset error occurred. View High Resolution (3747 X 1591 Pixel) Image Printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, DC
FR-1922I | KL-4249 Back Plate Number 295 Engraving Error	Series 1995 $1 Federal Reserve Note, Minneapolis, Withrow - Rubin, Plate# C379/295, S/N I27703373F, 1,310,720,000 printed for the Minneapolis Federal Reserve District PCGS Gem New 66PPQ Relative Rarity Index: R-4 Back Plate Number 295 Engraving Error — "295" is engraved in a smaller font than other back plate numbers. Printed at the Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth, TX.
FR-1921X Missing Overprint	Series 1995 $1 Federal Reserve Note, Withrow - Rubin, Plate# A440/579, S/N Unknown Relative Rarity Index: R-6 High-Resolution Scan
FR-1921E | KL-4239 Stuck Digit in Serial Number	Series 1995 $1 Federal Reserve Note, Richmond, Withrow - Rubin, Plate# E435/576, S/N E80882705K Relative Rarity Index: R-4 PCGS Choice About New 58PPQ
FR-2085D | KL-4552 District Designator Variance	Series 1999 $20 Federal Reserve Note, Cleveland, Withrow - Summers, Plate# C4/1, S/N BD58018302A PMG Very Fine 30 Relative Rarity Index: R-8 The District Designator "D4" is smaller (3mm versus 3.5mm) and located further below the serial number. The only district affected by this particular mistake. In fact, the absolute sole occurance of any type of engraving error on any big head design of any denomination. In total, far less than 50 pieces are known in all states of preservation, with none known in CU — See Series 1999 $20.00 Federal Reserve Note District Designator Error Another variation — S/N BD74612758A
FR-1928E✩ | KL-4657✩ Misaligned Overprint of One Color	Series 2003 $1 Federal Reserve Note, Star Note, Richmond, Marin - Snow, Plate# G113/119, S/N E12637412✩ A misaligned overprint of a Star Note is a rarity.
FR-1930E | KL-4670 Misaligned "Turned" Digit in Serial Number	Series 2003 A $1 Federal Reserve Note, Richmond, Cabral - Snow, Plate# A260/168, S/N E06503305F Relative Rarity Index: R-1 A misaligned or turned digit results from a clogged numbering wheel on the cylinder that prints the serial number.
FR-2179L Misaligned "Turned" Digit in Serial Number	Series 2003 A $100 Federal Reserve Note, San Francisco, Cabral - Snow, Plate# D14/9, S/N FL49140016B Relative Rarity Index: R-1 A misaligned or turned digit results from a clogged numbering wheel on the cylinder that prints the serial number.
FR-1933L | KL-4808 Missing Black Overprint	Series 2006 $1 Federal Reserve Note, San Francisco, Cabral - Paulson, Plate# G131/68, S/N L46119813P PCGS Choice About New 58PPQ Relative Rarity Index: R-5 Printed at the Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth, TX.