Dollar

For the currency in Columbia, see Silver Eagle.

Dollars were the prevalent currency in Rapture before its descent into addiction and chaos. The Rapture Dollar has Andrew Ryan's face on it, similar to the U.S. dollar. Dollars are used to purchase a variety of items from vending machines, such as First Aid Kits, EVE Hypos, and ammunition. Money is also used to "buy out" machines in lieu of hacking (the amount scales up quickly in later levels).

The Rapture Dollar became practically worthless as a result of the Rapture Bank Crash, at the beginning of the civil war in early 1959. While people no longer valued them greatly, many abandoned vending machines and similar devices were still set up to accept dollars, so there was still some worth in collecting them.

Dollars are somewhat abundant and can be located in nearly every area of Rapture. Common places to scavenge cash include:

Whatever is left in Rapture Businesses, usually found in cash registers or scattered upon the ground.
Corpses (often found in large amounts on the bodies of Big Daddies).
Safes and other containers such as handbags and trash cans.

BioShock

Main article: BioShock

Although the dollar bar has four digits, the maximum amount of money Jack can carry is $500. When at or near this limit, it is wise to stock up on some supplies and ammo, leaving open the ability to collect more money you find.

BioShock 2

Main article: BioShock 2

Though Sofia Lamb has replaced Ryan as leader of Rapture, the city's currency remains and costs are generally higher. Subject Delta can carry up to $600 early in the game. However, he can obtain a wallet size upgrade by researching Thuggish Splicers to level 2. This will allow him to carry $800 rather than $600. Big Sisters also carry a good chunk of change when killed, so you can easily restock your supplies after defeating them.

Burial at Sea

Main article: Burial at Sea

Dollars make a comeback in the Burial at Sea downloadable content for BioShock Infinite. Instead of paper bills, Rapture Dollars appear as coins, retextured Silver Eagles minted with a stylized "R" on one side, and the Rapture city skyline on the other. Items that provide Dollars are:

Help Caption

BioShock

“	Money is used primarily to purchase items at Vending Machines, but it can also be used to automatically succeed at hacking, get health from Health Stations, and turn off Security Alarms at Security Shutdown Panels. There may be Other uses for money as well.	”

BioShock 2

“	Money is used primarily to purchase items at Vending Machines, but it can also be used to Buyout a hack or get health from Health Stations.	”

Behind the Scenes

Though money serves no purpose for the player in BioShock 2 Multiplayer, it still appears as decoration in the various maps.
Early in BioShock's development, ADAM would have been the actual currency of Rapture. Early advertisements for Anchor Cigarettes show the currency symbol rendered as a stylized A.

v·d·e Items in BioShock
Single Use items		ADAM · Automatic Hack Tool · Dollar · EVE Hypo · First Aid Kit · Lockbox · Spider Splicer Organ
Ammunition		Pistol Round · Auto Round · Buck · Grenade · Film · Chemical · Bolt
U-Invent components		Alcohol · Battery · Brass Tube · Chlorophyll Solution · Distilled Water · Empty Hypo · Enzyme Sample · Glue · Kerosene · Rubber Hose · Screw · Shell Casing
Consumables		Arcadia Merlot · Bandages · Chechnya Vodka · Cigarettes · Coffee · Creme-Filled Cake · Fine Gin · Hop-Up Soda · Lacas Scotch · Moonbeam Absinthe · Old Harbinger Beer · Old Tom Whiskey · Pep Bar · Pipe · Potato Chips · Red Ribbon Brandy
Plot items		Audio Diary · Cohen's Muse Box · Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb · Genetic Key · Quarter-Can of Ionic Gel · Lazarus Vector · Little Sister Gift · Lot 192 · Nitroglycerin · Pheromone · R-34 Wire Cluster · Radio · Rosa Gallica
BioShock: The Collection only		Golden Film Reels

v·d·e Items in BioShock 2
Single Use items		First Aid Kit · EVE Hypo · Spider Splicer Organ · Dollar · ADAM · Sea Slug
Ammunition		Drill Fuel · Rivet · .50 Caliber Round · Shell · Grenade · Spear · Hack Dart · Mini-Turret · Ion Cell (Minerva's Den)
Consumables		Aspirin · Bandages · Canned Beans · Canned Fruit · Chechnya Vodka · Cigarettes · Coffee · Creme-Filled Cake · Doc Hollcroft's Cure-All · Fine Gin · Hop-Up Soda · Lacas Scotch · Moonbeam Absinthe · Moonshine · Old Harbinger Beer · Old Tom Whiskey · Pep Bar · Potato Chips · Potted Meat · Red Ribbon Brandy · Sardines · Tate Merlot · Vitamins
Plot items		Audio Diary · Radio · Genetic Key · Little Sister Gift · Rose · Signal Relay · ADAM-Infused Plant · Master Key · Signal Beacon (Minerva's Den)

v·d·e Items in Burial at Sea
Single Use items		Dollar · Teddy Bear · Bracelet · Doll · EVE · Gear · Gold Bar · Infusion · Ladies Shoe · Lockpick · Lockpicking Kit · Locksmith Bag · Medical Kit · Purse · Wallet · Necklace · Ring · Watch · Silver Eagle
Ammunition		Carbine Ammo · Hand Cannon Ammo · Radar Range Ammo · Shotgun Ammo · Tommy Gun Ammo · Bolt
Consumables		Absinthe · Apple · Banana · Bandages · Beer · Bon Bons · Bourbon · Brandy · Cake · Can of Beans · Candy Bar · Cereal · Crackers · Champagne · Cheese · Cigarettes · Coffee · Cotton Candy · Gift Boxes · Gin · Hot Dog · Jar of Pickles · Medicine · Milk · Orange · Peanuts · Pear · Popcorn · Potato chips · Ration · Sandwich · Soda · Spinach · Tea · Thermos · Tomato Soup · Unknown Booze · Vermouth · Whiskey · Wine · White Oats
Plot items		Audio Diary · Need to Know Theater · Kinetoscope · Invitation Mask · Coded Messages · Cathode Tube · CO₂ Scrubber · Clock Key · Hair Sample · Lutece Particle · Voxophone