I receive frequent inquiries from people who wonder how they can redeem their $1,000,000 bills printed by the American Bank Note Company.

Front

Back

Here are the facts.

The note shown above is incredibly well-engraved and printed on intaglio presses. It first came to my attention in 1988. It was engraved by American Bank Note Company for the International Association of Millionaires (IAM). When initially released, IAM sold "million dollar" notes for around $20 to $25 each.

The International Association of Millionaires still exists and can be found on the web. As of mid-2011, IAM offered single examples of its million dollar note for about $75 with additional discounts for quantity purchases.

In 1988, the note shown above was accompanied by a four-color brochure explaining the note's security features. Additional promotional materials included a "Certificate of Authenticity."

Since 1988, at least 100 varieties of so-called "million dollar bills" have appeared. All examples I've encountered are printed on ordinary paper using ordinary offset presses. Most imitate U.S. currency but should fool no one. All are substantially lower quality than ABNCo notes. When I last checked in mid-2011, ordinary million dollar bills could be purchased for as little as 8 cents each in quantities of 1,000. Here are examples of ordinary million dollar bills.

All the inquiries I receive about million dollar bills concern the high-quality notes printed by ABNCo. They are the same size as modern U.S. currency. The engraving and printing is the same quality as U.S. currency and the paper is somewhat similar.

People can get confused.

If you came to this page because of the million dollar note shown at the top of this page, examine your note again. You will find text explaining that your "million dollar" bill is worthless. It says:

• This certificate of wealth is not a representation or facsimile of any past or present U.S. financial obligation. (front)
• Non-negotiable. (back)
• This certificate is backed and secured only by confidence in the American dream. (back)

People often wonder whether their notes are salable. Yes, there is a small secondary market for the American Bank Company note illustrated here.

That is the story. If you want to learn more, please contact many of the fine dealers who sell these souvenirs. You may find them on the web by searching for "million dollar bill" (with quotes). Please do not contact me concerning value or resale.