They do not affect the value or usability of the bill in regular circulation. It's worth noting that replacement notes are relatively rare and often sought after by collectors. Over time, the star became the widely accepted symbol for replacement notes. In the early years of the Federal Reserve, different regional banks used different symbols, including stars, to mark their replacement notes. The reason for using a star symbol is historical. The star acts as an identifier to distinguish the replacement note from the regular notes.
For example, if a regular hundred dollar bill has the serial number 'AB12345678A,' a replacement note with a star would have a serial number like 'AB12345678*'. To maintain the correct number of bills in circulation, the Federal Reserve prints replacement notes with a star at the end of the serial number. When a printing error occurs during the production of a batch of bills, some of them may have to be discarded or destroyed. To search for a specific number, enter the same serial in both boxes below. The interval must be equal or less than 500 000. It signifies that the bill is a replacement for a damaged or defective note that was printed, and it is part of the Federal Reserve's policy to maintain the integrity of the currency. Write two 7-digits numbers in the following fields to see all Specials Serial Number Notes between the interval. The star that you see on your hundred dollar bill is actually a replacement or replacement note indicator.
