Block Sets in the PMG Registry

One of the most compelling ways to collect US Small Size currency is by block. A block is the combination of letters surrounding a note’s eight digit serial number. Now, the PMG Registry includes a number of sets for collectors of Small Size notes blocks. Currently sets are available for Federal Reserve Notes and Silver Certificates. New set definitions will be added throughout 2010.

The PMG Registry is an online community where collectors can catalog and display their PMG-certified notes online. Competitive sets are predefined by PMG and allow collectors to rank their collection alongside other great collections. A complete block set consists of all the serial number blocks for a particular note issue. For example, the 1928 $1 Silver Certificate Block Set requires 13 notes, all blocks AA through LA, and the star note *A. Each block is assigned an individual score using the PMG Registry scoring algorithm which awards points to each note based on scarcity, desirability, grade and value.

Block letters move through the alphabet once all the available numbers for a letter combination has been exhausted during printing. Oftentimes, the first and last blocks issued are the most desirable because the full range of serial number ranges were not used in the combination of those letters and they are thus of smaller printing editions. Notes with serial numbers close to the official low or high numbers from the first and last blocks, respectively, are also highly prized by advanced collectors.

More detailed information concerning the scarcity of blocks is emerging all the time. This makes collecting by blocks a vibrant and dynamic field. For example, when original packs of notes for a particular block exist, high grade examples may be available to collectors. However, when few or no packs can be found, notes can be very elusive in uncirculated condition. The PMG Population Report displays populations by block for Small Size Legal Tender, Small Size Silver Certificates, Small Size Federal Reserve Notes, and World War II Emergency Issues, making it the only such resource to report the availability of blocks by condition.

The PMG Registry is the largest online community of currency collectors and includes over 1,500 individual sets registered by collectors in over 100 different categories. Click to explore the PMG Registry.