What is a good grade for a collectible bill?
Understanding Bill Grades
Paper money grades range from Good (G) to Uncirculated (UNC). A 'good' grade in the hobby means a heavily circulated note, not a desirable one. For most collectors, a truly good grade starts at Very Fine (VF), where the note is crisp but may have minor folds.
If you're buying for eye appeal, Extremely Fine (EF) or About Uncirculated (AU) notes look nearly new but cost less than Uncirculated. For rare notes, even a Fine (F) grade can be valuable because availability is low.
- Good (G): Heavily worn, but complete.
- Very Fine (VF): Minor wear, still crisp.
- Extremely Fine (EF): Only slight handling.
- About Uncirculated (AU): Nearly perfect, one or two tiny flaws.
- Uncirculated (UNC): No wear, as printed.
What Grade Should You Aim For?
For common modern notes, aim for UNC or AU if you want a pristine example. For older or rare notes, VF or EF is often a practical choice because higher grades can be very expensive.
The 'best' grade is the one that fits your collecting goal. If you're building a type set, VF-EF is fine. If you're investing, higher grades tend to hold value better.
Common mistakes
- Thinking that 'Good' is a high grade—it's actually near the bottom of the scale.
- Assuming all Uncirculated notes are equal—UNC 60 and UNC 70 differ greatly in value.
- Overlooking that a rare note in Fine can be worth more than a common note in UNC.
