Silver Certificates

Large Size Silver Certificates  were authorized by Acts of congress dated Feb. 28, 1878, and Aug. 4, 1886. There were five issues from Series 1878 to Series 1923.

•      The First Issue of Silver Certificates were the Series of 1878 and 1880. These notes were issued in denominations of $10, $20, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000. The   face side or obverse side of these notes state "Certificate of Deposit" which does not appear on later issues of Silver Certificates. These notes are particularly attractive because the reverses are black in color and do not look like conventional paper money.

•  The Second Issue of Silver Certificates consisted of Series 1886, 1891 and 1908. The 1886 Series are quite popular because of the attractive reverses which are entirely covered with fine, detailed lathe work. The 1886 Series were printed in denominations of $1, $2, $5, $10 and $20. The 1891 Series includes these, but also added denominations of $50, $100 and $1,000. Only the $10 note was issued in Series 1908 and is often referred to as the "Tombstone Note" because the frame around Thomas Hendricks looks like a Tombstone.

•  The Third Issue of Silver Certificates, Series 1896, were released in three denominations and are titled the "Educational Series". The $1 note (History Instructing Youth), the $2 note (Science Presenting Steam & Electricity to Commerce and Manufacture) and the $5 note (Electricity as the Dominant Force in the World). These notes are very popular with collectors and are usually considered both the Most Historical and Most Artistically designed of all issues of U.S. Paper Money.

•  The Fourth Issue of Silver Certificates, Series 1899, were also released in three denominations, $1 (The Black Eagle Note), $2 (The Agriculture Note) and $5 (The Indian Chief Note). The face design of the $1 note features the American Eagle with portraits of Lincoln and Grant. The $2 note portrays Washington between figures representing Mechanics and Agriculture, and the $5 note features Ta-to-ka-in-yan-ka, also known as Running Antelope, a Sioux Indian. This is the only issue of U.S. Paper Money for which a Native American was selected as the central feature.

•  The Fifth Issue of Silver Certificates, Series 1923, consisted of only two denominations, $1 and $5 notes. Washington is portrayed on the $1 note and Lincoln on the $5 note. On the latter note, Lincoln is shown in the center of a circular design and therefore this note is often called the "Porthole" note.