
The value of a silver certificate depends on a host of factors, but the most important feature is its rarity. The rarer the certificate, the more expensive it is. In this article, we will take a look at the current price of silver certificates.
The Fourth Coinage Act of 1873, put United States of America on a gold standard, triggering protests from Western silver mining companies and banks. To address the concerns of the West, the government passed the Bland-Allison Act, according to which the government had to purchase silver worth $4 million dollars from Western mining companies. Although the initial plan was to convert the acquired silver into coins, but due to the time and effort required in minting, the government decided to print silver certificates instead. The certificates were printed in proportion to the silver that the government had in its Treasury. The era of silver certificates came to an end in 1968, when all redemption in silver was completely stopped by the government. However, these certificates appealed to collectors who were keen to acquire a memento of US currency. Even today, these certificates are bought and sold among numismatists. Mentioned below is the approximate current value of silver certificates.
Certificate | Series | Value* (Min. – Max.) |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1886 | $80 – $1,000 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1891 | $100 – $1,500 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1896 | $150 – $2,300 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1899 | $20 – $350 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1923 | $5 – $60 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1928 | $5 – $84 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1934 | $8 – $100 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1935 | $3 – $40 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1935a | $1.20 – $8 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1935b | Face value – $5 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1935c | Face value – $8 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1935d | Face value – $8 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1935e | Face value – $8 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1935f | Face value – $8 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1935g | Face value – $8 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1935h | Face value – $8 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1957 | Face value – $4 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1957a | Face value – $4 |
$1 Silver Certificate | 1957b | Face value – $4 |
$2 Silver Certificate | 1886 | $120 – $1,100 |
$2 Silver Certificate | 1891 | $150 – $2,200 |
$2 Silver Certificate | 1896 | $150 – $2,200 |
$2 Silver Certificate | 1899 | $80 – $1,100 |
$5 Silver Certificate | 1886 | $200 – $3,000 |
$5 Silver Certificate | 1891 | $100 – $1,800 |
$5 Silver Certificate | 1896 | $250 – $4,000 |
$5 Silver Certificate | 1899 | $100 – $1,500 |
$5 Silver Certificate | 1923 | $140 – $2,000 |
$10 Silver Certificate | 1880 | $400 – $7,000 |
$10 Silver Certificate | 1880 | $400 – $7,000 |
$10 Silver Certificate | 1886 | $400 – $7,000 |
$10 Silver Certificate | 1891 | $100 – $1,500 |
$10 Silver Certificate | 1933 | $500 – $7,500 |
$10 Silver Certificate | 1934 | Face Value – $80 |
$10 Silver Certificate | 1934a | Face Value – $100 |
$10 Silver Certificate | 1934b | $100 – $1,500 |
$10 Silver Certificate | 1934c | $10 – $150 |
$10 Silver Certificate | 1934d | $10 – $150 |
$10 Silver Certificate | 1953 | $10 – $100 |
$10 Silver Certificate | 1953a | Face Value – $80 |
$10 Silver Certificate | 1953b | Face Value – $80 |
$20 Silver Certificate | 1878 | $600 – $9,000 |
$20 Silver Certificate | 1880 | $400 – $600 |
$20 Silver Certificate | 1886 | $1000 – $15,000 |
$20 Silver Certificate | 1891 | $100 – $2,500 |
$50 Silver Certificate | 1878 | $900 – $13,500 |
$50 Silver Certificate | 1880 | $900 – $13,500 |
$50 Silver Certificate | 1891 | $500 – $7,500 |
$100 Silver Certificate | 1891 | $2000 – $40,500 |
$100 Silver Certificate | 1878 | $2000 – $40,500 |
$100 Silver Certificate | 1880 | $1000 – $18,000 |
$100 Silver Certificate | 1891 | $700 – $10,000 |
(* The value of a silver certificate depends on its condition. Collectors and companies, who trade in these notes, offer minimum price for a certificate which has severe wear and maximum price for a certificate which is in a good condition.)
(Pricing source: paper-money, eBay).
There are some exceptions to the prices that have been mentioned above. Silver certificates with interesting serial numbers are traded at a higher price. Some examples of these serial numbers are:
- Certificates with a * (star) sign
- Certificates with a ‘Perfect Up Ladder’ or a ‘Perfect Down Ladder’ serial number, e.g., A12345678A or A87654321A
- Certificates with a solid serial number, e.g., A22222222A
- Certificates with a palindrome serial number, e.g., A00044000A
- Certificates with a birth year serial number, e.g., A00001960A
Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only and the quoted prices are according to the listings on auction sites.