$1 Silver Certificate

Historical and issue context

Identification: United States — silver certificate — $1 — Series 1957B — Friedberg Fr. 1621.

This note is a direct Treasury obligation, not a Federal Reserve Note: the seal and serial numbers are in blue ink, and the face certifies that one dollar in silver is on deposit and payable to the bearer. Series 1957B, signed by Treasurer Kathryn O’Hay Granahan and Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon, is the last small-size $1 silver-certificate subseries.

According to Bureau of Engraving and Printing delivery records compiled by USPaperMoney.info, Series 1957B notes were delivered to the Treasury between January and November 1963. The BEP places the first use of “IN GOD WE TRUST” on paper money on Series 1957 $1 silver certificates and the shift to 32-subject dry-intaglio sheets in that same production era.

Redemption in silver coin or bullion ended on 24 June 1968. The note remains legal tender at face value, as does other U.S. paper issued since 1861.

Do not confuse with

• The $1 “North Africa” silver certificate, Series 1935-A, with a yellow emergency seal.
• Later $1 Federal Reserve Notes with a green seal and no silver clause.
• The Series 1928 $1 red-seal United States Note (Legal Tender Note), a different Treasury class.

Design and visible details

• Obverse: oval portrait of George Washington. Heading “SILVER CERTIFICATE”. Blue Treasury seal at right over “WASHINGTON, D.C.” Blue serials S 35513454 A at lower left and upper right. Legal-tender clause at left; “ONE DOLLAR” and “IN SILVER PAYABLE TO THE BEARER ON DEMAND” at the foot. Signatures: Granahan (left) and Dillon (right). On this specimen the plate marks H2 (left) and H751 (lower right) are visible.
• Reverse: green greenback with “THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”, “IN GOD WE TRUST” above the central “ONE”, and both sides of the Great Seal (pyramid and Eye of Providence at left; eagle at right). Back plate number 418 is visible on this specimen.

Known varieties

The Series 1957 $1 silver-certificate family has three signature combinations:

• 1957 — Priest–Anderson (Fr. 1619)
• 1957A — Smith–Dillon (Fr. 1620)
• 1957B — Granahan–Dillon (Fr. 1621), this specimen

Star replacements exist (Fr. 1621★) in other blocks. Serial S 35513454 A falls in the regular S–A block documented for 1957B (S 000 00001 A – S 999 99999 A).

Condition of the specimen shown

Unslabbed piece, photographed obverse and reverse separately in a clear sleeve. No PMG, PCGS, or equivalent grade. Catalog rarity for this subseries is that of an ordinary issue of hundreds of millions of notes; this record documents the type and this serial.

Sources

1. Direct examination of the Notofilia collection specimen (obverse and reverse in a sleeve; serial S 35513454 A; Series 1957B; Granahan / Dillon signatures).
2. Bureau of Engraving and Printing — History (opens in a new tab) — “IN GOD WE TRUST” on Series 1957 $1 silver certificates; 32-subject sheets.
3. U.S. Currency Education Program — History of American Currency (opens in a new tab) — the motto first appears on that series; paper issued since 1861 remains valid.
4. USPaperMoney.info — Series 1957B $1 (opens in a new tab) — BEP deliveries January–November 1963; 718,400,000 regular notes and 48,000,000 stars; S–A block.
5. Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Paper Money of the United States — Fr. 1621.