Man stunned to learn the vintage $5 bill he inherited from his grandma is now worth $400K

Sometimes, the past holds unexpected treasures in a world obsessed with new and polished things. A similar story unfolded for Tommy, who inherited his grandmother’s note collection after her passing. Tommy’s girlfriend, Charlotte Carroll (@lottiestarlight), shared a TikTok video about a rare $5 note that sparked significant buzz on social media.

In a 23-second video clip titled, "My bf inherited this $5 bill from his grandma. It has to be the most insane banknote I have ever seen," the rare note displays a significant printing error. During the printing process, something likely went wrong with the machine, causing the number "5" to be printed twice, creating a double image. When Newsweek reached out to paper money expert Wyatt McDonald, he explained, "Misprints on modern paper money are very interesting, but far more common than you might think."

These notes are produced in such large quantities that they usually don't fetch significant premiums in the collector market. However, misprints on older currency can be quite valuable, with the seal color often serving as the best indicator. "Vintage notes will have a red, blue or gold seal on the front," McDonald added. Meanwhile, the news outlet also reached out to Carroll to talk about the $5 note. She said, "We have had people offer between $5 and $400,000 for it, and all we refuse. It is our most favorite and priceless piece out of anything in our collection." She also revealed that her boyfriend's grandmother was an employee at Universal Studios' finance department in California. Speaking of her decision to share it on TikTok, she said that the post was meant for the "money-collecting world." She added, "But I never thought the video would blow up the way it did."

The video became viral within minutes of being posted, reaching nearly 900,000 views online. Netizens were blown away by the rare currency note and flooded the comment section with their reactions. @ricardosantos0037 commented, "He needs to send it to get it graded and sealed. Then sell at auction. PCGS is better than NGC in grading." @user4997334113301 wrote, "That's awesome!! I wonder what the value of it would be, but priceless as something from grandma." @pacothelineman emphasized the printing mistake on the note and wrote, "Mistakes on any kind of currency are worth a lot of money." @timetravelerbobby commented, "Omg I want that bill. It was made the year I was made." @user75512561955512 had an interesting suggestion for the couple, "You should get that appraised!! Bad minted money is worth quite a bit because that’s not supposed to happen or be in circulation."

While Carroll and Tommy's video made headlines recently, a similar incident came to light when a man unearthed over 700 rare Civil War coins worth millions at his rural farm. Talking about the discovery, the man said, "These are all $1 gold coins, $20 gold coins, $10 gold coins, and look, I’m still diggin’ them out." According to the New York Post, the surprising discovery of coins included a collection of 1863 Double Eagles and hundreds of US gold dollars from 1850 to 1862. GovMint, regarded as the best source for coins worldwide, featured an exclusive image of the coins. The GovMint YouTube channel also shared footage of the man digging up the precious treasure worth millions from his land.

You can follow Charlotte Carroll (@lottiestarlight) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.