No Motto Silver Certificate

Silver Certificate banknotes once circulated alongside other types of U.S. currency such as today’s Federal Reserve Notes. Unlike the Federal Reserve Notes that have green U.S. Treasury seals, though, Silver Certificates were backed by silver bullion in the United States Treasury and had distinctive blue Treasury seals and serial numbers. The original small-size $1 Silver Certificate might look familiar – with the portrait of George Washington on the front and a large “ONE” on the back flanked by the two sides of the Great Seal of the United States – but the motto “In God We Trust” did not appear on the back until the Series of 1935-G. This is one of the original “No Motto” notes issued prior to the addiiton of the motto; it has been out of circulation for more than half a century. Most of these historic $1 Silver Certificates were worn out or destroyed long ago, leaving precious few for collectors. It’s a miracle even one note has survived! Each $1 Silver Certificate was backed by its face value in Silver Dollars or silver bullion in the United States Treasury, and the holder of the note could actually have exchanged it for the silver until 1968. A fabulous piece of American currency history, the note is still U.S. legal tender.