
It is rare that the replacement banknote has the same serial number as the original faulty one. This saves time and money compared to re-printing exactly the same serial number that was used before. Replacement bills have different symbols to mark the error around the world, although the most popular examples are "star notes".Īs quality control finds defective notes in the printing process after the serial number has been overprinted, they are taken out with their serial number written down and replaced with another banknote printed specifically for this purpose, so that the number of banknotes being printed stays the same in each production batch. Also, since no two serial numbers can be the same, the bill is simply reprinted with a symbol in the serial number, identifying it as a replacement for an error note.

The asterisk, or "star" following the serial number indicates this is a replacement note for one that was misprinted.Ī replacement banknote, commonly referred to as a star note, is a banknote that is printed to replace a faulty one and is used as a control mechanism for governments or monetary authorities to know the exact number of banknotes being printed.
