Do bank tellers keep old bills?

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I've always wondered this.  Do people that work as bank tellers ever see old dollar bills and silver dollars come in?  Are they allowed to purchase them from the bank after the person has exchanged them for face value?

I've always wondered this.  Do people that work as bank tellers ever see old dollar bills and silver dollars come in?  Are they allowed to purchase them from the bank after the person has exchanged them for face value?

Yes .
A lot will depend on the employee and the bank itself. If there's a will, there's a way

Do you think it's common for people to cash in old bills at the bank or do you think most people are wise enough to keep them?

Do you think it's common for people to cash in old bills at the bank or do you think most people are wise enough to keep them?

First of all, just because bills are old does not mean that they are valuable or worth more than face value
Secondly, everyone is in a different situation and they may have no option other than cash the notes.
Thirdly, I know for a fact that I have seen many old bills (coins) coming from a lawyers office where estates are being closed and their interest is not in the old bills, just to get the cash in the bank.
I am sure there are many other instances/reasons why people return notes....

I've always wondered this.  Do people that work as bank tellers ever see old dollar bills and silver dollars come in?

It's extremely common. More than 1 million $1 and $2 notes alone on average have been removed from circulation every year since 2005. That's nearly 4,000 notes removed every business day of the year. And I haven't even counted anything larger than $2 notes.

It kind of makes you wonder why more collectors don't get jobs as bank tellers if it's common.

It kind of makes you wonder why more collectors don't get jobs as bank tellers if it's common.

Yeah...I also wonder why the Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers, Vets, business owners, etc. don't just give up their jobs and become bank tellers so they can possibly get some old circulated ones and twos...what a great idea

It kind of makes you wonder why more collectors don't get jobs as bank tellers if it's common.

Probably because you've got the causality backwards.  It's far more likely for a person who works in a bank to become a collector than for a collector to become suddenly interested in a career in banking.

Yeah...I also wonder why the Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers, Vets, business owners, etc. don't just give up their jobs and become bank tellers so they can possibly get some old circulated ones and twos...what a great idea

Some or us are looking for work.  I wouldn't assume all collectors or everyone on a message board is a doctor or lawyer.

Probably because you've got the causality backwards.  It's far more likely for a person who works in a bank to become a collector than for a collector to become suddenly interested in a career in banking.

That's true.  It seems like no one really knows what the regular protocol is.  The last time I did banking, the teller basically said she doesn't see old notes very often.  I would assume that most people would pass them down, bring them to a dealer, or put them in an auction if they had any sense.  I was interested because I'm looking for work and I was considering getting into banking.  Thanks for the responses guys.  I will definitely keep looking into it.

It kind of makes you wonder why more collectors don't get jobs as bank tellers if it's common.

its easier to just marry a teller (I did)