The year of issue and the series year are not always the same on Federal Reserve Notes. Although the date of coins changes from year to year, the design of coins changes more slowly, and it is difficult to individually track coins. While tracking individual Federal Reserve Notes or sheets of Federal Reserve Notes are challenging. The serial numbers, prefixes, and suffixes used on notes make tracking them easier.
How is a Series 2021 Dollar Produced in 2024?
A Series Year on Federal Reserve Notes may not change until the design of the note changes. While these changes can encompass minute details like a different Secretary or Treasurer with a new Presidential administration, they may also include updates to make the security features of a note more robust.
The series year represents the year that a design was adopted or approved and is also the first year that bills with the series year are issued. The series year is printed prominently on the obverse of the note.
For example, while the Series 2009 $100 Federal Reserve Note had a scheduled release date of February 2011, they were delayed due to printing issues. Instead, Series 2006A $100 notes were printed using the older design, with the Series 2006 signatures of Cabral-Paulson. When the new series was finally released in October 2011, they were classified as Series 2009A. The Series 2009 notes were sorted, and the defective notes were destroyed.
The Year of Issue and Series Year are Not Always the Same
The year of issue refers to the year that the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) printed a particular Federal Reserve Note and put it into circulation. The year of issue is not printed on the note, although records for the year of issue are kept.
The first Federal Reserve series was Series 1914. The Series 1914 note included a $5 bill featuring President Abraham Lincoln, $10 bill featuring Andrew Jackson, a $20 bill depicting Grover Cleveland, and a $50 note featuring Ulysses S. Grant. A $100 Federal Reserve Note was included in this series with Benjamin Franklin on the obverse.
Reasons for the discrepancy are largely due to slow changes in design, although there are other factors like printing schedules.
How Long does it Take to Print Money?
While this information is not given for each sheet or run, we know that the current printing process produces 60,000 sheets per hour. In its 2023 annual production report, the BEP stated that in 2023, more than 5.7 billion Federal Reserve Notes were printed in their two locations in Washington, D.C. and Fort Worth, Texas. A full accounting for each recent fiscal year.
List of Federal Reserve Notes by Year of Issue and Denomination
Federal Reserve Notes by denomination can be found in the table below.
| Denomination | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| $1 | 1,574,400,000 | 686,320,000 | 918,560,000 | 2,397,104,000 |
| $2 | N/A | N/A | 108,352,000 | 128,000,000 |
| $5 | 467,200,000 | 162,752,000 | 525,456,000 | 881,520,000 |
| $10 | 460,800,000 | 288,000,000 | 281,600,000 | 480,000,000 |
| $20 | 1,721,600,000 | 2,994,656,000 | 1,711,136,000 | 261,936,000 |
| $50 | 236,800,000 | 476,800,000 | 756,096,000 | 267,840,000 |
| $100 | 1,334,400,000 | 2,378,304,000 | 2,125,536,000 | 1,326,976,000 |
Understanding the context behind series years on Federal Reserve Notes provides a more comprehensive understanding and appreciation for currency collectors.
