“Star” $1 Silver Certificate Banknote
 
Silver Certificate banknotes once circulated along with other types of paper currency such as U.S. Notes and Federal Reserve Notes. The $1 Silver Certificate was last issued in the Series of 1957. Today, only Federal Reserve Notes circulate.
 
This genuine $1 Silver Certificate is a fascinating and seldom-seen “Star” note that features a star at the beginning of the serial number instead of the letter that appears on regular notes.
 
Star notes are much scarcer than regular notes. They replaced defective and error notes in the printing process. Very few star notes were ever issued, so they are always prized by collectors. The $1 Silver Certificate features a blue Treasury seal and blue serial numbers, which gives it a very different appearance from today’s Federal Reserve Notes that have green serial numbers and seals. The front and back are almost identical to $1 Federal Reserve Notes, but this note is identified as a “Silver Certificate” and has blue details instead of green. Each $1 Silver Certificate was backed by $1 in actual silver in the U.S. Treasury. The bearer of the note could once exchange it at the Treasury for $1 in silver.