The Fancy Serial Number Files: Super Serial Numbers
Posted on 5/20/2025
Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG®) is the world’s leading authority on fancy serial numbers, a popular segment of numismatics. In this series, we take an in-depth look at different fancy serial numbers. This month’s topic is Super Serial Numbers.
Super Serial Numbers can be split into two categories: Notes where the digits in the prefix of the serial number create a fancy serial number, or notes where the digits in the prefix add to the exceptionality of the fancy serial number. The Super Radar Serial Number on the Trinidad & Tobago Dollar shown below is in the former category, because it would not be a fancy serial number without the 3 in the prefix. This creates a Radar Serial Number, a number that is the same forward and backward: 3793973. (This note is part of a Heritage Auctions sale in June 2025.)
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The China 100 Yuan note shown below has a Super Serial Number 7. Even without the prefix, it is considered a Serial Number 7 because it has the number seven preceded by five zeroes. However, because the prefix also contains no digits besides zeroes, this elevates it to a much-rarer Super Serial Number 7. (This particular note was being offered on eBay as of mid-May 2025.)
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Prices realized by other Super Serial Number notes through Heritage Auctions include:
- a Hong Kong, Government of Hong Kong 1956-59 1 Dollar with a Super Solid-5 Serial Number graded PMG 50 About Uncirculated, which realized $2,520 in December 2021
- a Mauritius, Bank of Mauritius ND (1967) 50 Rupees with a Super Binary Serial Number graded PMG 65 Gem Uncirculated EPQ, which realized December 2023
- a Belize, Government of Belize 1976 10 Dollars with a Super Radar Serial Number graded PMG 67 Superb Gem Uncirculated EPQ, which realized $1,380 in September 2020.
- a Hong Kong, Government of Hong Kong 1956-59 1 Dollar with a Super Solid-4 Serial Number graded PMG 40 Extremely Fine, which realized $1,140 in December 2021
- an Ethiopia, Bank of Ethiopia 1932-33 100 Thalers with a Super Radar Serial Number graded PMG 35 Choice Very Fine, which realized $780 in July 2024
- an Italian East Africa / Italian Occupation World War II 1938 500 Lire with a Super Radar Serial Number graded PMG 20 Very Fine, which realized $660 in March 2025
- a Fiji / British Administration 1962 5 Pounds with a Super Radar-Repeater Serial Number graded PMG 20 Very Fine, which realized $492 in December 2023
- a Hong Kong, Government of Hong Kong 1952-55 1 Dollar with a Super Solid-6 Serial Number graded PMG 15 Choice Fine, which realized $372 in June 2019
- an India, Reserve Bank 2013-15 10 Rupees with a Super Solid-8 Serial Number graded PMG 65 Gem Uncirculated EPQ, which realized $312 in January 2019
- a Cayman Islands, Monetary Authority 1998 100 Dollars with a Super Binary Serial Number graded PMG 65 Gem Uncirculated EPQ, which realized $252 in April 2021
Other Fancy Serial Number Files columns:
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