View original document

The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.

■

NEWS
RELEASE
••
•• ••••••••

•••••••••• •••••••••••••

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
St. Louis

Little Rock

Louisville

Memphis

Media Advisory
Contact:
Charles B. Henderson (314) 444-8311

For release:
November 3, 1998

Old $20 Bills Are Legal Tender-Now and Forever
ST. LOUIS -An apparent prank by a disc jockey at a radio station in St. Louis today
incorrectly reported that the old $20 bills would soon be worthless. The United States has
never recalled or devalued its currency and will not do so. The United States always honors its
currency at full face value, no matter how old.
Like the new $100 and the new $50, the newly designed $20 bill has new and modified
features to deter counterfeiting.
Over time, as older series notes wear out and are returned to the Federal Reserve, they
are replaced with the new notes. The process is moving more slowly with the new $20 than it
has with the new $1 00s and the new $50s because the older $20s in good condition will
continue to circulate with the new $20s. The average $20 bill has a lifespan of about two
years, compared to 8.5 years for a $100 or $50 bill.
The bottom line is that older-series $20, as well as older-series $50 and $100 notes, are
good -


https://fraser.stlouisfed.org
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

now and forever.
###