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The $4,920 Fragment: 5 Shocking Facts About D.B. Cooper's Ransom Money For Sale

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The legend of D.B. Cooper, America's most famous unsolved skyjacking case, continues to captivate the public, especially as tangible pieces of the mystery periodically resurface. As of December 24, 2025, the market for the infamous ransom money remains surprisingly active, with collectors paying astronomical prices for authenticated fragments of the $20 bills Cooper parachuted with in 1971.

The most compelling recent evidence of this enduring fascination came in May 2024, when a small remnant of a $20 banknote—part of the recovered ransom—sold at auction for an astonishing price, demonstrating that the value of this currency is tied not to its face value, but to its place in criminal history. This article dives into the latest details on how the money is sold, its true worth, and the man behind the heist.

The Elusive Profile of D.B. Cooper (Dan Cooper)

D.B. Cooper is not the hijacker's real name; he purchased his ticket under the name "Dan Cooper" and became known as "D.B. Cooper" due to a media error. His true identity remains one of the greatest enduring mysteries in American law enforcement history. The FBI officially closed the active investigation in 2016, but the profile of the man who vanished into the night remains sharp.

  • Alias Used: Dan Cooper (later misreported as D.B. Cooper).
  • Date of Hijacking: Wednesday, November 24, 1971 (Thanksgiving Eve).
  • Flight: Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, traveling from Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, Washington.
  • Ransom Demanded: $200,000 in unmarked, non-sequential $20 bills, and four parachutes.
  • Physical Description (FBI Profile): White male, approximately 6’1” tall, weighing 170–175 pounds, and estimated to be in his mid-forties.
  • Distinguishing Characteristics: He was described as having brown eyes, a dark complexion, and was noted to have smoked and consumed bourbon during the flight. He wore a dark suit, a white shirt, a black tie, and a dark overcoat.
  • Fate: After receiving the ransom and parachutes in Seattle, Cooper ordered the plane to fly toward Mexico City, then parachuted out the aft stairwell over the rugged terrain of the Pacific Northwest. He was never seen or heard from again.

The Money that Survived: The Tena Bar Discovery

For nearly a decade after the daring skyjacking, the $200,000 ransom remained completely missing. The discovery of a small portion of the cash is the only confirmed physical evidence of Cooper's fate.

The Discovery by Brian Ingram

In February 1980, eight-year-old Brian Ingram was on a family vacation at Tena Bar, a popular recreational beach on the Columbia River, near Vancouver, Washington. While digging in the sand to smooth out a campfire pit, he stumbled upon three packets of decaying currency. The money was bound with rubber bands, severely deteriorated, and covered in river silt.

Authentication and the Missing $194,200

The total amount found by Ingram was $5,800. FBI investigators meticulously matched the serial numbers on the recovered $20 Federal Reserve Notes to the list of the $200,000 ransom paid to Cooper in 1971. The money's condition—tattered, water-stained, and bearing the wear of being buried near the Columbia River—suggested it had been deposited in the river shortly after the jump and had been slowly washing up over the years. Crucially, the discovery accounted for less than 3% of the total ransom, meaning $194,200 remains missing to this day, fueling ongoing speculation about Cooper’s survival and the money’s final resting place.

The $4,920 Question: Why is D.B. Cooper Money for Sale So Valuable?

The few authenticated pieces of D.B. Cooper's ransom money that have entered the collector's market command prices that are exponentially higher than their face value. The demand is driven by the money's unique status as a tangible link to one of the 20th century's greatest unsolved crimes.

1. Auction Prices Defy Logic (2024 Update)

The most recent high-profile sale underscores the intense interest. In May 2024, a small, heavily damaged remnant of a $20 note—a mere fragment—was put up for auction. It was estimated to fetch between $400 and $600. However, the final sale price, including the buyer's premium, soared to $4,920. This incredible return—nearly ten times the high estimate—demonstrates the collector world's willingness to pay a premium for even the smallest piece of the legend.

2. The Power of Certification

To be considered "D.B. Cooper money," the bills must be authenticated. The recovered notes often come certified and encapsulated by reputable third-party grading services like PCGS Currency. These certified notes, sometimes bearing the handwritten initials of the FBI investigators who examined them in 1980, are the only ones with verifiable provenance, making them highly sought after by numismatists and true crime enthusiasts.

3. Limited Supply and Provenance

Only the $5,800 recovered by Brian Ingram is confirmed to be part of the ransom. Brian Ingram was legally permitted to keep a portion of the money, and it is these notes—or fragments thereof—that occasionally appear for sale through auction houses like Heritage Auctions. The scarcity of the authenticated currency guarantees its sustained high value, regardless of the physical condition of the tattered paper.

4. A Piece of Unsolved History

The money is a direct artifact of the D.B. Cooper skyjacking, a case that remains a cultural phenomenon. Owning a piece of the ransom is owning a piece of a story that has baffled the FBI, inspired countless books, documentaries, and theories, and remains the only unsolved case of air piracy in commercial aviation history. The money is a physical reminder that the criminal got away with the crime—and possibly the cash.

5. The Legal Status of the Money

The recovered $5,800 was eventually divided. The FBI retained a portion for evidence, and Brian Ingram was allowed to keep the rest. When these notes are put up for auction, they are fully legal to own. The notes are officially recognized as "D.B. Cooper 1971 Ransom Money," often with a Series 1969 $20 Federal Reserve Note designation, and are sold as historical artifacts, not as simple currency.

The Future of the D.B. Cooper Ransom Market

The market for D.B. Cooper artifacts shows no sign of cooling down. As long as the mystery of the hijacker's identity and the fate of the remaining $194,200 continues, the few authenticated $20 bills from the Tena Bar discovery will only appreciate in value.

Collectors and investors are advised to seek currency certified by a reputable grading service like PCGS to ensure authenticity. The enduring legacy of D.B. Cooper—the man who disappeared with a fortune—has transformed a handful of waterlogged $20 bills into priceless historical relics, making them one of the most fascinating and expensive pieces of true crime memorabilia available today.

The $4,920 Fragment: 5 Shocking Facts About D.B. Cooper's Ransom Money For Sale
db cooper money for sale
db cooper money for sale

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