1934 $10 Silver Certificate

The Series of 1934 $10 Silver Certificate once circulated alongside other types of paper currency such as Federal Reserve Notes. It is one of the earliest small-size $10 Silver Certificates. The note was first authorized at the height of the Great Depression, when $10 was a small fortune to many people.  The $10 Silver Certificate was the highest value Silver Certificate issued in the small size. The last such note was issued in the Series of 1953. Unlike todays Federal Reserve Notes that have green Treasury seals and serial numbers, Silver Certificates have distinctive blue Treasury seals and blue serial numbers.  Each $10 Silver Certificate was backed by its face value in silver bullion or Silver Dollars in the United States Treasury, and the holder of the note could actually exchange it for the silver on demand. When this note was first authorized, the U.S. Mint was still making Peace Silver Dollars for circulation.  The obligation on the front of the note certifies that it was payable in silver.  Silver Certificates were last redeemable for silver in 1968, but they remain legal tender. Most of these historic $10 Silver Certificates were worn out or destroyed in circulation more than half a century ago or more.  If redeemed at a bank today, Silver Certificates are destroyed by the government. As a result, very few exist in any condition. Like modern $10 bills, this $10 Silver Certificate features the familiar portrait of Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury (1789-1795), based on an 1806 painting by John Trumbull.  The back shows the U.S. Treasury building in Washington, D.C., as well as an early automobile. The note is displayed in a custom wallet with fascinating information about its history and design.