Here we are offering two pieces of history in one: A piece of used U.S. Government Red Tape, and a decommissioned, historic currency bill in a lucite display. The bills will be randomly selected as they are available to us. Grade A bills will generally have more recognizable illustrations or text, such as images of Founding Fathers, Presidents, and other well-known historical figures. Grade B bills will feature lesser-known and sought-after depictions. The Grade is not an indicator of the physical condition of the bill.

By the end of the American Civil War, the practice of binding important documents with red ribbon was common throughout the western world. Civil War veterans’ records were bound in red ribbon, and the difficulty in obtaining those records to file pension claims led to the modern American use of the term “red tape.”