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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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A $5 bill inherited by a man from his grandmother has gained viral attention online, with suggestions that the paper bill could be worth thousands of dollars.
Charlotte Carroll's boyfriend, Tommy, was given his grandmother's note collection after her death, and one item in particular has captivated internet users.
In a video with more than 800,000 views, the caption said: "My bf [boyfriend] inherited this $5 bill from his grandma. It has to be the most insane banknote I have ever seen."
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The $5 bill features a significant printing error, misaligned with parts of the print overlapping. In the lower-right section of the bill, where the large number "5" is typically located, appears to be printed twice and shifted out of alignment with the rest of the design. The misprint created a doubled or overlapping effect, where sections of the bill's text and numerical markings seem to be "stacked" or offset.
Carroll said that the bill came from Tommy's grandmother, who had previously worked in Universal Studios' finance department in California. "We have had people offer between $5 and $400,000 for it, and all we refuse," Carroll told Newsweek.
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"I decided to share on TikTok because I have a lot of community in the money-collecting world that I wanted to share with," she said. "But I never thought the video would blow up the way it did."
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Printing errors like the one on the bill are highly unusual, making this a potential collectors' item.
Wyatt McDonald is a paper money expert with Coinfully.com, an organization based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and he specializes in valuing and selling coins and paper money. "Misprints on modern paper money are very interesting, but far more common than you might think," McDonald told Newsweek.
"These notes are made in such high a volume that they do not generally command meaningful premiums in the collector market. Misprints on older currency can be very valuable, and the color of the seal is typically the best indicator. Vintage notes will have a red, blue, or gold seal on the front," McDonald said.
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"A misprint on a modern green seal note will generally only add a premium of a couple dollars. That said, they are excellent conversation starters and meaningful sentimental items. If these modern misprints are in uncirculated condition, they may be worth two or three times their face value."
In the comments, people reacted to the very unusual $5. "That is worth SOO much!! my jaw DROPPED," commented KaylaKabob. Viewer Neil gave a suggested value and said: "I would guess close to $4k with that clear of an error and the condition."
Despite any offers to buy the unusual misprinted bill, Carroll said she and Tommy were going to refuse. She added: "It is our most favorite, and priceless, piece out of anything in our collection."
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