SerialHunt

Official4 tools

by BigBalli

US bill serial numbers: star note print runs and fancy serial patterns with exact odds.

MCP Server: com.bigballi/serialhunt

The com.bigballi/serialhunt MCP server provides information on U.S. bill serial numbers, focusing on star note print runs and “fancy” serial patterns with exact odds. It is described as covering both the run details and the probability information for these serial number variants.

🛠️ Key Features

U.S. bill serial number information
Star note print run details
Fancy serial patterns
Exact odds associated with patterns and runs

🚀 Use Cases

Checking serial pattern odds for U.S. bills
Looking up star note print run information
Comparing expected likelihoods across serial number types

⚡ Developer Benefits

Machine-readable MCP access to serial-number odds and run data
Structured retrieval of serial-pattern probability details

⚠️ Limitations

Source data provided does not describe additional tools, configuration, supported queries, or non-U.S. bill coverage.

Captured live from the server via tools/list.

check_serial

Whether one US paper money note is worth keeping, from its serial number: the Federal Reserve Bank, the series (worked out from the serial when it is not given), every collector pattern in the eight digits with its exact odds, and for a star (replacement) note the print run it came from with the number of notes printed and its rarity band. Covers Federal Reserve Notes from Series 1963 on. Gives no price and no authenticity judgement.

Parameters3

serial	string	required	The serial as printed, spaces optional, e.g. "MB 123 45678 C", "B12345678C", or "A 000 00047 " with or ★ for the star.
denomination	integer	optional	Face value in dollars: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 or 100. Needed for the star note print run.
series	string	optional	The series printed on the note, only if known, as printed beside the portrait, e.g. "2017A", "2021", "1995".

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "serial": {
      "type": "string",
      "maxLength": 40,
      "description": "The serial as printed, spaces optional, e.g. \"MB 123 45678 C\", \"B12345678C\", or \"A 000 00047 *\" with * or ★ for the star."
    },
    "denomination": {
      "description": "Face value in dollars: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 or 100. Needed for the star note print run.",
      "type": "integer",
      "enum": [
        1,
        2,
        5,
        10,
        20,
        50,
        100
      ],
      "minimum": 1,
      "maximum": 100
    },
    "series": {
      "type": "string",
      "maxLength": 20,
      "description": "The series printed on the note, only if known, as printed beside the portrait, e.g. \"2017A\", \"2021\", \"1995\"."
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "serial"
  ],
  "additionalProperties": false
}

find_star_runs

The smallest US star note print runs on record, smallest first (top 10), optionally for one denomination, series or Federal Reserve Bank: the notes printed, the rarity band and the serial range to watch for. Runs printed only for uncut collector sheets, which never circulate, are left out unless include_sheet_runs is true.

Parameters4

denomination	integer	optional	Face value in dollars: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 or 100.
series	string	optional	Only this series, as printed beside the portrait, e.g. "2017A", "2021", "1995".
district	string	optional	Federal Reserve Bank letter: A Boston, B New York, C Philadelphia, D Cleveland, E Richmond, F Atlanta, G Chicago, H St. Louis, I Minneapolis, J Kansas City, K Dallas, L San Francisco.
include_sheet_runs	boolean	optional	Also list runs printed only for uncut sheets (default false).

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "denomination": {
      "type": "integer",
      "enum": [
        1,
        2,
        5,
        10,
        20,
        50,
        100
      ],
      "minimum": 1,
      "maximum": 100,
      "description": "Face value in dollars: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 or 100."
    },
    "series": {
      "type": "string",
      "maxLength": 20,
      "description": "Only this series, as printed beside the portrait, e.g. \"2017A\", \"2021\", \"1995\"."
    },
    "district": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "A",
        "B",
        "C",
        "D",
        "E",
        "F",
        "G",
        "H",
        "I",
        "J",
        "K",
        "L"
      ],
      "description": "Federal Reserve Bank letter: A Boston, B New York, C Philadelphia, D Cleveland, E Richmond, F Atlanta, G Chicago, H St. Louis, I Minneapolis, J Kansas City, K Dallas, L San Francisco."
    },
    "include_sheet_runs": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Also list runs printed only for uncut sheets (default false)."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}

list_serial_patterns

The 17 fancy serial number patterns collectors look for on US bills (ladder, solid, radar, repeater, binary, birthday, low serial and the rest): a strict definition, an example, how many of the 100,000,000 possible eight-digit serials match, and the odds.

Parameters

No parameters.

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {},
  "additionalProperties": false
}

get_coverage

Which denominations and series the star note print run figures cover, with the Federal Reserve districts and number of star runs on record for each, the sources, the date of the last update and any known gap.

Parameters1

denomination

integer

optional

Face value in dollars: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 or 100.

Raw schema

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "denomination": {
      "type": "integer",
      "enum": [
        1,
        2,
        5,
        10,
        20,
        50,
        100
      ],
      "minimum": 1,
      "maximum": 100,
      "description": "Face value in dollars: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 or 100."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}

README.md3 KBView on GitHub

SerialHunt for Claude and other MCP clients

SerialHunt

Ask an AI assistant whether a US bill is worth keeping and get an answer from government production figures instead of memory: the star note print run a serial came from and how many notes shared it, every fancy pattern in the digits with its exact odds, and the rarest star runs to watch for.

This repository holds:

the connection details for the SerialHunt remote MCP server at https://bigballi.com/SerialHunt/mcp,
a Claude plugin that adds that server plus a paper-money-serials skill, which teaches Claude how to read the numbers.

The server is run by SerialHunt. Its star note figures come from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's production reports, through the uspapermoney.info archive for Series 1963 to 2017A, and it updates weekly. The same answers are on the web lookup.

What you can ask

"I got a $1 bill with serial A 032 12345 ★, Series 2017A. Is it rare?"
"Is MB 123 45678 C on a $20 a fancy serial number?"
"Which $2 star notes had the smallest print runs?"
"What is a radar serial number, and how rare is it?"

Tools

All tools are read-only (readOnlyHint: true) and need no account.

Tool	What it answers
`check_serial`	One note from its serial: the Federal Reserve Bank, the series (worked out from the serial when it can be), every collector pattern in the digits with its odds, and for a star note the print run it came from, the notes printed and the rarity band.
`find_star_runs`	The 10 smallest star runs on record, optionally for one denomination, series or Federal Reserve Bank.
`list_serial_patterns`	The 17 fancy serial patterns, each strictly defined, with how many of the 100,000,000 possible serials match.
`get_coverage`	Which denominations and series the figures cover, the last update and any known gap.

SerialHunt gives no prices and makes no authenticity claims, on purpose.

Setup

Claude (claude.ai, Desktop, mobile)

Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector, then paste https://bigballi.com/SerialHunt/mcp. No sign-in is needed.

Claude Code

Install the plugin, which adds the server and the paper-money-serials skill:

code

/plugin marketplace add BigBalli/serialhunt-mcp
/plugin install serialhunt@serialhunt

Or add only the server:

code

claude mcp add --transport http serialhunt https://bigballi.com/SerialHunt/mcp

Other MCP clients

Any client that supports remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP can use https://bigballi.com/SerialHunt/mcp with no credentials. The server speaks protocol versions 2026-07-28, 2025-11-25, 2025-06-18 and 2025-03-26 and answers with JSON (no SSE, no sessions).

Privacy

The server receives the tool name and its arguments (for example a serial number and a denomination), uses them to answer, and does not store them. It never sees your conversation or your account. Full policy: bigballi.com/SerialHunt/privacy.

Support

Email g@bigballi.com, or see bigballi.com/SerialHunt/connect.

License

The contents of this repository are released under the MIT License. The production figures served by the SerialHunt MCP server are not part of this repository.

Install

Tools (4)

check_serialfind_star_runslist_serial_patternsget_coverage

Remote endpoint

Streamable HTTP

Hosted server - connect over the network, no local install.

url

https://bigballi.com/SerialHunt/mcp

Add to VS Code Add to Cursor

claude_desktop_config.json

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "serialhunt": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://bigballi.com/SerialHunt/mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Desktop config is stdio-only; this bridges via mcp-remote. Native remote: Settings > Connectors.

MCP Server: com.bigballi/serialhunt

🛠️ Key Features

🚀 Use Cases

⚡ Developer Benefits

⚠️ Limitations

check_serial

find_star_runs

list_serial_patterns

get_coverage

SerialHunt for Claude and other MCP clients

What you can ask

Tools

Setup

Claude (claude.ai, Desktop, mobile)

Claude Code

Other MCP clients

Privacy

Support

License

Install

Remote endpoint

Related servers