The first Gold Certificates, which were literally "as good as gold," were authorized in 1863 but not printed until 1865. Their use at the time was exclusively for transactions between banks; a general-circulation Gold Certificate came along in 1882.
As works of engraved art, Gold Certificates are right up there with their Silver Certificate cousins—some would say they are even more beautiful. Some of the most striking characteristics about the pre-1928 notes are their golden highlights on the front and fully golden backs.
In 1933, the Gold Reserve Act was passed, causing the Federal Reserve to transfer its stash of gold bullion and Gold Certificates to the U.S. Treasury. It also made it illegal fo...
It took just over three decades until it was once again legal for U.S. citizens to own a Gold Certificate, which, not coincidentally, is when there was a resurgence of interest in this storied collectible.
Interviews & Articles
Tony Swicer Explains How He Started Collecting Kentucky Bank Notes

I started collecting when I was about 10 years old. My father was in the Air Force, so he got me started collecting everything—coi… [more]
U.S. Gold Coins: Holding the California Gold Rush in the Palm of Your Hand

The double eagle is really a result of the California Gold Rush. Prior to the California Gold Rush, the biggest gold discoveries w… [more]
An Interview with Smithsonian Coin and Currency Curator Richard Doty

When I was 8 years old I had a friend named Jimmy Hood. His father was in the army, and he had been on the staff with General MacA… [more]
A Lucky Locket

Call it beginner's luck, but a four-year-old kid found a 16th-century gold pendant the other day. It was his first time using a me… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Legendary Coins and Currency

This online exhibition from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is a great way to get an overview… [read review or visit site]
American Currency Exhibit

This collection, from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, runs from 1690 through half a dozen eras including… [read review or visit site]
Bank Note Bank

This world banknote and currency image-sharing database is notable for its breadth of contributors and content (abo… [read review or visit site]
Banknote World

With more than 20,000 high-res scans of world banknotes (front and back views), Ron Wise's website is a mandatory s… [read review or visit site]
Two Cent Revenue Stamped Paper

Everything you'd ever want to know about revenue stamped paper (first authorized in 1862). This site features infor… [read review or visit site]
If These Shirts Could Talk: The Tantalizing Tales Behind Used Clothes
Jockeying for Position: How Boxers and Briefs Got Into Men's Pants
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
In the Hot Seat: Is Your Antique Windsor a Fake?
Love at First Kite: How Pizza and Pente Led to One Oklahoman's High-Flying Obsession
Blood, Sweat, and Steel: My Afternoon with the Ace of Swords
'The Great Gatsby' Still Gets Flappers Wrong
Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgeon's Quest to Reimagine the Garage-Band Guitar
Forget TV Pickers, Meet the Real Mavericks of the Antiques World
Coveting The Craziest Cat-People Collectibles



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