For any US paper bill, a "star note" is a bill printed to replace a bill that was damaged during the printing process. For security and bookkeeping reasons it's difficult for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to have gaps in the serial numbers printed on bills, so the numbers of the damaged bills are reused but one of the letters is replaced with a small asterisk to indicate that the bill is a reprint.
Many collectors are interested in star notes because they're unusual and not commonly seen in circulation. However, in most (but not all) cases star notes are only moderately more valuable than their standard counterparts.
A star next to the serial number on any US bill means that the original note with that number was damaged in printing, and the star note is the replacement.
The 1974 US $20 star note is valued in price close to $30 each. The amount will vary depending upon the condition the bill is in.
The modern US five dollar bill (or note) does not have a red star on it. some older versions did carry a seal printed in red, but this would hardly be seen as a star.
A star at the end of a number means that at one point in time, there was a dollar bill with the same number on it. Because of resons unknown, the government burned the dollar bill, and made another dollar with the same number, adding the star.CorrectionHere is the statement from the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing regarding star notes: When an imperfect note is detected during the manufacturing process after the serial number has been overprinted, it must be replaced with a new note. A "star" note is used to replace the imperfect note. Reusing that exact serial number to replace the imperfect note is costly and time consuming. The "star" note has its own special serial number followed by a star in place of a suffix letter.The serial number of the imperfect note that was removed is not used again in the same numbering sequence.
$100 bill, $50 bill, $10 bill or $1 bill
Any note, not just a silver certificate, is a star note if the leading or trailing character of the serial number is a star rather than a letter; e.g. *12345678A or S321654987* A star on any US bill means that it was issued as a replacement for a bill that was damaged during printing. Because bills are printed in large groups it's impractical to reprint specific serial numbers. Instead, a new set of serial numbers is started and a star is added to indicate that these notes are replacements.
Please check your bill again and post a new question. There are no $1 bills dated 1939.
A star note is any US bill, not just a silver certificate, that has a star instead of a letter at the start or end of its serial number. Star notes are printed to replace a bill that had a defect and was destroyed. Because bills are printed in large groups it's impractical to reprint specific serial numbers. Instead, a new set of serial numbers is started and a star is added to indicate that these notes are replacements. Collectors generally prefer star notes and it may make the bill be worth a bit more.
A star in the serial number signifies that the note is a replacement note. Replacement notes are used when a note is found damaged before leaving the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Currency collectors tend to pay more for "star notes," as they are rarer than notes with standard serial numbers.
The following is from the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing: When an imperfect note is detected during the manufacturing process after the serial number has been overprinted, it must be replaced with a new note. A "star" note is used to replace the imperfect note. Reusing that exact serial number to replace the imperfect note is costly and time consuming. The "star" note has its own special serial number followed by a star in place of a suffix letter. The serial number of the imperfect note that was removed is not used again in the same numbering sequence. Collectors are generally willing to pay a premium for a star note, but very few of them are worth more than a few percent above the value of a normal bill.
A twenty-dollar bill with a star at the end of the serial number indicates that the bill was reprinted due to a printing error on the original bill. These star notes are considered rare and can be valuable to collectors.
Alexander Hamilton is on the US $10 bill.