The $5,000 dollar is a real bill that is now extremely rare to find. A long time ago these large-denomination bills were used only for bank transfers and large private transactions. Even back then they were rarely seen by the general public. High-denomination bills were last printed in 1945 and officially taken out of circulation in 1969. Now these notes are highly sought after collector's items.

Who Is on the 5000 Dollar Bill?

President James Madison was featured on most 5,000 dollar bill series. There were several different series but Madison was featured on the most issued series, the ones that are still in existence today. So therefore James Madison comes to mind when someone thinks of the $5,000 bill.


There are only a few hundred 5,000 dollar bills estimated to be in existence today. Therefore the value will be quite high for any of these bills, regardless of condition. Even in poor condition, a $5,000 bill will sell for at least $30,000. But most of the bills that are in existence today are in uncirculated condition simply because they were used infrequently. A note in uncirculated condition will sell for over $100,000.

These bills are more rare than some other large-denomination bills such as the 500 dollar bill or the 1,000 dollar bill. Today there isn't much opportunity to buy five-thousand dollar bills. Because of their rarity, you can't just go to any large coin shop and buy one. But on occasion they do come up for auction. These auctions typically occur a few times every year.


There were several different series but most of the series were completely redeemed and thus taken out of circulation. Generally the only notes that can still be found for sale are the 1928 series and the 1934 series. There were no star notes for either of these series.

Below we will include pictures and a more detailed description of these two series.

1928 $5000 Federal Reserve Note

1928 5000 Dollar Bill

1928 5000 Dollar Bill Back

The 1928 series $5000 Federal Reserve note is more rare than the later 1934 series. Only around 10 are known to exist. Therefore these 1928 bills sell for more than the 1934 bills.

The 1928 series $5,000 notes are worth around $95,000 in very fine condition. In extremely fine condition the value rises to around $150,000.

1934 $5000 Federal Reserve Note

The 1934 $5000 Federal Reserve notes have the same design as the 1928 series. They are the most common out of all of the $5000 dollar bill series but they are still extremely rare. Over 51,000 notes were printed but very few remain. There are around 100 in existence that have never been redeemed.

The 1934 series $5,000 notes are worth around $75,000 in very fine condition. In extremely fine condition the value is around $95,000-135,000. In uncirculated condition the price is around $145,000-160,000 for notes with an MS 63 grade.

Grading System


Extremely fine- A note that shows small signs of having been in circulation. The note will be bright and it will have almost all of its original crispness. There might be one or two minor creases or folds but there are no stains, discolorations, or tears.

MS 63 uncirculated- A note that shows no signs of ever having been in circulation. The note still has its original crispness. The centering may not be perfect, and there might be one or more pinholes, smudges from counting, or other signs of improper handling.


If you have found one of these bills then you certainly are in luck. Any bill will be worth tens of thousands of dollars. If you put your bill up for auction then who knows what the final price will be!



The Red Book