This article provides useful info about what to do with damaged currency. If you have just realized that money you stowed away has been damaged, or you were playing with a $20 bill and it accidentally ripped, you should not be in despair. Luckily for you, this actually happens rather frequently. By reading the following article, you should be able to easily replace your damaged bills without facing any problems whatsoever.

Many local banks can replace damaged currency instantly for you. Simply visit your bank, or any other bank of your choosing, and ask them to replace the damaged currency with new currency. Most banks will gladly help people with this type of issue. It is usually much easier to exchange notes at banks when the currency is in fairly good shape though.

If the bank can accept the note you are exchanging, they might ask you to fill out a form about how the currency was damaged. Beyond filling out this simple form though, you will not need to do anything further to have your currency replaced.

Banks may inform you that they cannot help you if you ask them questions about what to do with damaged currency. In some cases, banks might refuse to replace the damaged currency you want to exchange. If this should happen though, there is no need to worry, because you can still consult with the minting agency to have the bills replaced. Banks often reject bills that are missing more than half of their total parts. If this happens to you, there is still a chance that you can recover your lost money. Even though banks do not always accept half of a damaged note, the minting agency who made the money may be able to accept your note.

Minting agencies generally prefer to see more than 50% of the notes that are exchanged though. Even so, many people have seen their money come back as good as new without sending more than 50% of the notes in. If you are turning your notes into the minting agency, you can do so by mailing them or by delivering them personally.

If you mail your currency to the minting office, you should include an estimation of the money you are sending them. You should also include information about how the money was damaged or at least how you found the money. This information may expedite the exchange process and increase the chances that your money will be replaced.

Generally, currency that is sent in with more than 50% of its material still intact is replaced fairly easily. If more than this amount has been lost though, there is a chance that the currency will not be replaced at all. Even so, it is definitely worth trying, especially if banks and merchants will not accept the currency anyway. In summary, even if your currency has been badly damaged, you can still exchange your money fairly easily by consulting with a bank or your government’s minting office. Both of these organizations will also be able to help you figure out what to do with damaged currency.