Catalog
50 Dollars - Motion Picture Purposes
| Issuer | United States |
|---|---|
| Year | 2013 |
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| Currency | Dollar (1785-date) |
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| Obverse description | Prop note modelled on the U.S. Series 2004 $50 Federal Reserve Note, rendered throughout in monochrome grey tones. The central vignette carries an intaglio-style portrait of Ulysses S. Grant facing slightly right against a waving American flag underprint; to the left, a circular seal inscribed 'MOTION PICTURE PURPOSES' replaces the Federal Reserve district seal, with the bold disclaimer 'THIS NOTE IS FOR MOTION PICTURE PURPOSES. IT IS NOT LEGAL TENDER' beneath. Facsimile treasurer and secretary signatures occupy the lower left and right respectively, with 'FOR MOTION PICTURE PURPOSES', 'B2 COPY', and a series serial number in the upper field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | 50 MOTION PICTURE PURPOSES 50 IN PROPS WE TRUST 50 FIFTY DOLLARS 50 |
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| Comments |
Prop money for film and television use falls under strict U.S. Secret Service guidelines: notes must be one-sided, printed on non-cotton paper, and either significantly oversized or undersized compared to genuine currency. This piece meets those requirements and was almost certainly produced under 31 C.F.R. § 411, the federal regulation governing motion picture currency. The designation "Motion Picture Purposes" is the legal language that keeps the manufacturer out of counterfeiting jurisdiction.
Collectors treat these as novelty ephemera rather than numismatic items proper, though certain production runs — particularly those from identifiable film studios or prop houses — have developed their own modest secondary market.