Comments on: Exchanging Damaged Money

By: Becky Robbins

Becky Robbins — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:38:26 +0000

Back in 1995, we suffered a fire that destroyed our new farm, which we had just built. The fire started in our office, where we had $1100 in hundred dollar bills in an envelope in our desk drawer. Almost everything was destroyed, but we were able to find remnants of the money. It’s been in a ziplock baggie ever since. I honestly don’t know if you do anything with badly burned cash, but I recently saw something about your agency on the Today program, and thought it certainly wouldn’t hurt to try. If I try to send it, I’m afraid that it will crumble even more. Is there anywhere in Arkansas that could help me? Thanks so much for your time and effort concerning this matter.

Becky Robbins

By: coglethorpe

coglethorpe — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 02:28:06 +0000

I used to work at a Federal Reserve Bank office. People would bring in torn bills. Sometimes they were thieves/homeless folk who managed to tear bills out of change machines. Later in the day an irate change machine owner would come in with the other part of the bills.

BTW – The FRB takes damaged bills and destroys them by the tens of millions. I have a bag of the shredded remains from my old job…

By: nickel

nickel — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 04:31:50 +0000

You know, I recall hearing a 40/60 rule in the past, too… However, the info in this post comes straight for the U.S. Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing web site, so it’s gotta be right.

By: mbhunter

mbhunter — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 04:29:24 +0000

I had heard that if you had more than 60% of the original bill you could get a new bill of the same denomination. If you had more than 40% but less than 60% you could get half of the bill’s face value. Maybe your post supersedes this.

By: Jose Anes

Jose Anes — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 18:18:01 +0000

Sounds easy enough to exchange.