I have recently completed an important milestone for my $1 denomination type set, as I've now got examples of all the major design types. For small notes, I've expanded this to also include minor design variations as well. Large Size Notes: 1862 $1 Legal Tender Design 4, Fr.16 This first $1 note features Salmon P. Chase (Secretary of the Treasury under Lincoln from 1861-1864). 1865 $1 National Bank Note (1st Charter) Design 99, Fr.380b This is a first charter National Bank Note issued by the Alton National Bank of the State of Illinois. These National Bank Notes were largely an attempt to remove private bank issued currency from circulation (among other reasons). These notes were also issued in 1875 with overprint and seal changes, but the design is the same. The back of the note is different per issuing state, however, collecting a full set in attractive grades would be prohibitively expensive. 1869 $1 Legal Tender (Treasury Note) Design 5, Fr.18 Known as a rainbow note, it's one of the most beautiful $1 types due to the vivid colors. I searched for several years to find an acceptable example with bold color. 1875 $1 Legal Tender Design 6a, Fr.26 This design type was also issued as series 1874 (Fr.19) and 1878 (Fr.27) with very minor differences. This bill was the introduction of the "sawhorse" reverse.
1880 $1 Legal Tender Design 6b, Fr.28 The first of the three design types of 1880: 1880 $1 Legal Tender Design 6c, Fr.31 Design type 6c is significantly rarer than the others. The defining feature that made this a different design is that the serial numbers are printed in blue instead of red. 1880 $1 Legal Tender Design 6d, Fr.35 For the third 1880 design type, they kept the blue serials, but the position and style of the treasury seal was changed. 1886 $1 Silver Certificate Design 59, Fr.216 Known as the ornate back type, this note can also be found with the smaller seal type used on the 1891 issue. 1890 $1 Treasury Note (Coin Note) Design 85, Fr.348 Known as the ornate back type, this note can also be found with the smaller seal type used on the 1891 issue. This treasury note was issued primarily to facilitate the free exchange between silver and gold coinage. The 1890 issue is scarce.
1891 $1 Silver Certificate Design 60, Fr.223 The treasury seal was changed from the 1886 version, and the back was simplified to combat counterfeiting. 1891 $1 Treasury Note (Coin Note) Design 86, Fr.351 The treasury seal was changed from the 1890 version, and the back was simplified to combat counterfeiting. This type is significantly more common than the type of 1890. 1896 $1 Silver Certificate Design 61, Fr.225 This silver certificate is a part of the Educational Series, so called due to the subject matter of the designs. 1899 $1 Silver Certificate Design 62, Fr.235 This was my first large $1 note. I picked it up at a coin club meeting and it ended up kicking off this $1 type collection. It would be easy to pick up a better condition note, but for sentimental reasons I am keeping this as my type example. 1917 $1 United States Note Design 6e, Fr.38m The last variation on design 6 was this 1917 US Note. A common type.
1918 $1 Federal Reserve Bank Note Design 127, Fr.721 Though Federal Reserve Notes were first issued in 1914, no $1 (or $2) bills were issued. This Federal Reserve Bank Note is the closest we get, though this is distinctly not a Federal Reserve Note. As a Federal Reserve Bank Note it is a National Currency issue of a specific Federal Reserve Bank (in this case the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond since I live in Virginia). These $1 notes were issued as a temporary measure to facilitate commerce when $1 silver certificates were being recalled from circulation. 1923 $1 United States Note Design 7, Fr.40 A somewhat less common US Note of 1923. A beautiful design very reminiscent of the small type $1 design that would follow it in 1928. 1923 $1 Silver Certificate Design 63, Fr.237 This $1 Silver Certificate is very similar to the US Note above, and similar to the smaller silver certificates issued in 1928.
Small Size Notes: 1928 $1 United States Note Design 188, Fr.1500 These notes were not initially issued and were instead shipped to Puerto Rico to meet the need for small currency where they circulated in 1948. 1928A $1 Silver Certificate Design 195, Fr.1601 This is the common First Legend variety of the 1928 $1 silver certificate, and the first $1 "Funnyback" note to circulate. 1928E $1 Silver Certificate Design 195, Fr.1605 This is an extremely rare Second Legend variety of the 1928 $1 silver certificate. Note the difference in the text over the blue treasury seal compared to the above example. 1934 $1 Silver Certificate Design 196, Fr.1606 A beautiful design change occurred for series 1934, bringing it more in line with the look of the modern $1 FRN with the seal at right over the denomination. 1935 $1 Silver Certificate Design 197, Fr.1607 This general design was used for many of the following notes. Note the series is at top left on the front of the note. This was also the first note to adopt the general design of the modern $1 back.
1935E $1 Silver Certificate Design 197, Fr.1614 Compared to the series 1935 note above, you'll note the series was repositioned to underneath the treasury seal at right. 1935A $1 Silver Certificate Design 236, Fr.2300 These notes were issued in Hawaii in 1942 and were recalled after the war in 1946. They were issued as replacements for the circulating $1 silver certificates in Hawaii as these notes were easily identifiable and could be demonetized if Hawaii was captured by Japan. 1935A $1 Silver Certificate Design 236, Fr.2306 For the same reasons as the Hawaiian note above, these yellow seal notes were used to pay troops in North Africa and Italy. 1935A $1 Silver Certificate Design 197, Fr.1609 This is an experimental note issued in 1944 as part of a materials test in case the banknote paper supply was disrupted by the war. This note has a red R to signify it as a control note. 1935A $1 Silver Certificate Design 197, Fr.1610 This is an experimental note issued in 1944 as part of a materials test in case the banknote paper supply was disrupted by the war. This note has a red S to signify it as a special paper note.
1935G $1 Silver Certificate Design 198, Fr.1617 Though they did not increment the series for this change, this series 1935G note was issued in 1957 as it has the legend "In God We Trust" on the back. 1957B $1 Silver Certificate Design 198, Fr.1621 The same as the above, but updated to series 1957. 1963 $1 Federal Reserve Note Design 214, Fr.1900-C This is the first $1 Federal Reserve Note. This type has the older treasury seal type with a curved shield and the text in Latin. 1969 $1 Federal Reserve Note Design 214, Fr.1903-E Series 1969 updated the treasury seal to a more modern version with a straight edge shield and the text in English. 1988A $1 Federal Reserve Note Design 214, Fr.1917-A This 1988A $1 is a Webb note, so called because it was printed on a Webb press. This used rollers instead of sheets, and so the position markings are different than sheet fed notes. The quality of the printing is also poorer, which led to the discontinuation of this experimental printing method.
1988A $1 Federal Reserve Note Design 214, Fr.1916-K Last but not least, I include in my set a first year example of a note printed at Fort Worth. I thought it would be fun to select a star note from the Dallas Texas Federal Reserve Bank to make it a little more interesting. I hope you've enjoyed looking at this set of 33 $1 types. I will continue to work on this set to incorporate more minor design varieties for the large notes over the coming years.
Thanks for the great writeup. I've never been a collector of notes but your post makes it very intriguing. Good thing I don't have any disposable income. Question, @Jaelus, about the 1896 silver certificate (the "educational" one) -- what was the criteria for the selection of the names that appear around the border?
Thanks. I don't know the particulars of how those specific people were selected, but they were chosen for making substantial contributions to art, culture, and science.
Wow. I could only hope to achieve what you have. I have many, but missing the more rare types, like the Fr-18 rainbow note, nor some of the others. Thank you for sharing and with great full image photos.
Thanks. I've had the small notes set above completed for a while, but I just completed the large note designs set. I was trying to pick up one or two notes for that set every year, but I was so close I just bit the bullet and picked up the last couple to complete it.
