Del Monte note
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Del Monte note | |
|---|---|
 Del Monte Note up close |
|
| Country of production | United States |
| Location of production | Fort Worth U.S. Treasury Department print facility |
| Date of production | 1996 |
| Nature of rarity | retained obstruction |
| Estimated existence | 1 |
| Face value | $20 |
| Estimated value | US$25,000 |
The Del Monte Note is a misprinted U.S. twenty-dollar bill with a red, green, and yellow Del Monte banana sticker next to Andrew Jackson's portrait. The sticker became affixed to the note during the printing process. The error occurred after the face plate had been printed but prior to the printing of the treasury seal and serial numbers (these are two separate printing processes). The result is a note with part of the seal and serial numbers printed on top of the sticker - if the sticker were removed the corresponding area underneath would be blank. In the paper money hobby this "error note" is called an "obstructed print". The vast majority of such errors do not retain the source of the obstruction and those notes that do sell for a substantial premium. The bill originated at the Fort Worth U.S. Treasury Department print facility. It was discovered by a college student in Ohio who received it from an ATM. The note has been preserved in near perfect condition and was auctioned off on eBay for US$10,100 in 2003.
The note is very famous among currency collectors and has appeared on the covers of magazines such as Bank Note Reporter and Numismatic News.
On January 6, 2006, the note was sold for US$25,300 by auction house Heritage Galleries and Auctioneers of Dallas.
