Web notes are $1 Federal Reserve Notes that were produced between 1992 and 1996 using a web press, which prints on both sides of continuous paper rolls simultaneously. Web notes were an experimental issue produced similar to the way that newspapers are printed, although equipment issues and subpar print quality resulted in a short run.
What Makes Web Notes Different from Other Federal Reserve Notes?
Other Federal Reserve Notes are produced using a sheet-fed method, which involves printing on flat sheets of paper. While most Federal Reserve Notes are printed using traditional intaglio methods, web notes were printed using a high-pressure web method. This involved printing on a spool of paper, where the traditional sheet-fed method prints only one sheet at a time, with 32 bills per sheet.
The traditional printing method requires a series of prints for the front, back, and seals on a note.
One of the benefits of the web printing methods was decreased production time. While the web press printing on continuous rolls of paper nearly doubled the efficiency of the printers, this method also resulted in more frequent breakdowns. The disruptions and increase in labor caused by the equipment breakdowns proved inefficient, so the web press method was abandoned after the Series 1995 web notes were issued.
Differences Between Web Notes and Traditional Intaglio Notes
Intaglio (Traditional) Printing
- Sheetfed with precut sheets
- 32 notes per sheet with three prints per sheet (Obverse, reverse, overprint)
- Produces 8,000 sheets per hour
Web Press Printing
- Fed by a spool of paper later cut into sheets
- Printed all elements (Obverse, reverse, overprint) simultaneously
- Yielded 96 notes in a single pass
- Produced 10,000 sheets in 35 minutes
How to Identify Web Notes
Web notes were issued with one-dollar notes from Series 1988A, Series 1993, and Series 1995. The series number and the year of issue are not always the same, but with some issues, they are the same.
Look for the Face Plate Number
Examine the obverse of the note and look for the small number next to the Treasury Department seal. On most Federal Reserve Notes, this will appear as a small letter or letters, followed by a larger letter, followed by a small number, while web notes will have just a number.
Look for the Back Plate Number
Non web note issues will feature the back plate number Below the E of the word ONE on the reverse of a $1 while web notes will have this number located just above the E.
List of Web Note Serial Number Blocks by Series
Series 1988A Web Notes
Series 1988A notes feature signatures by Treasurer Catalina Vasquez Villalpando and Secretary Nicholas F. Brady.
Issue Date | From Block | To Block |
July 1992 | F 704 00001 L | F 768 00000 L |
July 1992 | F 832 00001 L | F 896 00000 L |
July 1992 | F 000 00001 M | F 064 00000 M |
September 1992 | F 576 00001 N | F 768 00000 N |
September 1992 | C 640 00001 A | C 768 00000 A |
November 1992 | A 256 00001 E | A 320 00000 E |
November 1992 | A 384 00001 E | A 448 00000 E |
November 1992 | A 576 00001 E | A 640 00000 E |
December 1992 | A 000 00001 F | A 128 00000 F |
February 1993 | E 448 00001 I | E 640 00000 I |
April 1993 | E 448 00001 K | E 640 00000 K |
June 1993 | A 832 00001 F | A 960 00000 F |
June 1993 | A 000 00001 G | A 192 00000 G |
July 1993 | G 448 00001 P | G 576 00000 P |
August 1993 | G 448 00001 Q | G 512 00000 Q |
October 1993 | F 512 00001 U | F 576 00000 U |
October 1993 | F 640 00001 U | F 704 00000 U |
October 1993 | F 896 00001 U | F 960 00000 U |
October 1993 | F 064 00001 V | F 128 00000 V |
October 1993 | F 192 00001 V | F 256 00000 V |
October 1993 | F 384 00001 V | F 448 00000 V |
October 1993 | F 576 00001 V | F 640 00000 V |
October 1993 | F 768 00001 V | F 832 00000 V |
October 1993 | F 896 00001 V | F 960 00000 V |
Series 1993 Web Notes
Series 1993 notes feature signatures by Treasurer Mary Ellen Withrow and Secretary Lloyd Bentsen.
Issue Date | From Block | To Block |
May 1995 | B 192 00001 H | B 256 00000 H |
May 1995 | B 384 00001 H | B 448 00000 H |
June 1995 | C 384 00001 A | C 448 00000 A |
June 1995 | C 512 00001 A | C 576 00000 A |
Series 1995 Web Notes
Series 1995 web notes display signatures by Treasurer Mary Ellen Withrow and Secretary Robert Rubin.
Issue Date | From Block | To Block |
September 1995 | A 320 00001 C | A 448 00000 C |
November 1995 | D 640 00001 C | D 704 00000 C |
December 1995 | F 832 00001 D | F 960 00000 D |
April 1996 | B 320 00001 H | B 384 00000 H |
April 1996 | B 448 00001 H | B 512 00000 H |
Are Web Notes Valuable?
Most web notes are not worth much more than their face value. Many issues are worth $5 or more, although the 1988A series can command a high premium. In uncirculated grades, the 1988A New York (B-L) and Atlanta (F-*) web notes can sell for as much as $500 and $2,000, respectively. One web note error with mismatched serial number suffixes (Star and L) has sold for nearly $30,000.