Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Wortley built the wooden backpack she used while retracing Alexandra David-Néel’s journey from a chair she found on the street in London.
How Elise Wortley Climbed Mont Blanc in 1830s Women’s Attire
28 days ago
Simplicity is key: Just a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt and pepper is the perfect accompaniment.
The Sweet Second Life of Creole Cream Cheese
28 days ago
My rendition of frog legs, popping mushroom curry, pad prik khing with salted egg yolk, and sweet khanom thuai.
Recreating My Favorite Meal From Thailand
28 days ago
Inside London’s Gorgeously Curated ‘Art Restaurants’
28 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Washington, D.C. The Mutilated Currency Division

The Mutilated Currency Division

An obscure public service from the U.S. government that redeems burnt, moldy, and soiled old greenbacks.

Washington, D.C.

Added By
Joshua Sack
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Picking through mutilated currency   Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Picking through mutilated currency   Bureau of Engraving and Printing
The BEP Headquarters   Map Data © Google 2017
Three burnt wads   Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The colorfully named Mutilated Currency Division at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing is a small office of crack forensics that spend their days poring over all manner of defaced dollars. Provided for free as a public service, the Mutilated Currency employees labor to identify bits and fragments of identifiable denominations that can be redeemed at face value.

Established by Congress in 1866—less than five years after the government started issuing paper money—the Mutilated Currency Division handles about 30,000 cases a year, returning currency valued at over $30 million. As long as more than half of the note remains, or the Treasury can be satisfied that the missing portions have been destroyed, the Mutilated Currency Division will redeem the amount of money that has been damaged by fire, water, chemicals, and acts of god.

For understandable reasons, the caseload (and wait time) tends to spike around natural disasters. But there are the rare cases with more bizarre origins. Legend has it among BEP tour guides that sometime during the 1970s, a farmer mailed in a rotting cow stomach, desperate for assistance. The man had lost his wallet in the field, and convinced it was eaten by the unfortunate cow, he had promptly slaughtered the beast. The farmer’s hunch proved correct and BEP cut him a check for $600.

The forensic examiners can identify a fleck of printing, and they use advanced scientific methods to determine how much currency was mutilated. Cases usually take between 6 and 36 months, and when payment has been made, the mutilated currency is held securely for 45 days until it is incinerated in a boiler that helps heat and cool the building. The mutilated currency division only handles paper money, but the U.S. Mint has a similar service for melted coins.

Related Tags

Money Government Disasters Wealth Forensics

Know Before You Go

Send your mutilated currency to: Bureau of Engraving & Printing MCD/OFM, Room 344A 14th and C Streets SW Washington, DC 20228

Community Contributors

Added By

Joshua Sack

Edited By

Elliot Carter

  • Elliot Carter

Published

June 2, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
The Mutilated Currency Division
301 14th Street, SW
Washington, District of Columbia
United States
38.885189, -77.032039
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Washington Mini Monument

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Washington Monument Access Hatch

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Washington Monument Lightning Rod

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

United States

Places 285
Stories 50

Nearby Places

Washington Mini Monument

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Washington Monument Access Hatch

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Washington Monument Lightning Rod

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

United States

Places 285
Stories 50

Related Places

  • Washington, D.C.

    Federal Reserve Tennis Court

    The only tennis court that falls under the jurisdiction of the central bank.

  • The Rogers Vault

    Washington, D.C.

    Treasury Department Cash Vault

    Where the U.S. government kept its actual treasure, before Fort Knox.

  • Front of the Ugland House

    George Town, Cayman Islands

    Ugland House

    There is one corporation registered for every three square feet of space in this inconspicuous office building.

  • Three Mile Island nuclear power plant.

    Middletown, Pennsylvania

    Three Mile Island Historical Marker

    On the outskirts of Pennsylvania’s capital city, a reminder of the worst accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history.

  • Eskişehir, Turkey

    Uğur Mumcu Park

    This harrowing memorial remembers a murdered investigative journalist.

  • This museum is hidden in what appears to be an ordinary office building.

    Taipei, Taiwan

    Taiwan Stock Museum

    Learn all about Taiwanese financial history from inside a former high-security vault.

  • Showmen’s Rest

    Forest Park, Illinois

    Showmen’s Rest

    A section in the cemetery mostly for circus performers, including victims of the famous 1918 Hammond Circus train wreck.

  • The “Kajiki cash” was once minted at this spot.

    Aira, Japan

    Kajiki Unofficial Mint Site

    Imitations of Chinese coins were minted here for foreign trade before Japan got its own currency.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.