Coin Value Contents Table
Did you come across a $1 1957 silver certificate bill? You are probably excited to find such an old and obsolete piece of currency and curious what it’s worth.
So, what is the value of a 1957 silver certificate dollar bill?
Well, this depends on factors such as the grade and condition of the dollar bill.
The truth is, 1957silver certificates are not rare. The Federal Bureau minted 5 billion of these notes, so you can find these notes here and there.
There is a lot of collector interest around silver certificate bills. So, we wrote this article to help you understand the 1957 silver certificate dollar bill value. You will learn about this bill’s history, its features and whether it is worth any money.
So, let’s get started!
1957 Silver Certificate Dollar Bill Value Chart |
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| Series Type | Good | Fine | Extremely Fine | Uncirculated |
| 1957 Series | Less than $3 | Less than $5 | Up to $10 | $20 |
| 1957-A Series | Less than $3 | Less than $5 | Up to $10 | $20 |
| 1957-A Star Note | Less than $5 | Less than $8 | $12-$15 | $24 |
| 1957-B Series | Less than $3 | Less than $5 | Up to $10 | $18 |
| 1957-B Star Note | Less than $5 | Less than $8 | $12-$18 | $24 |
History of the 1957 Silver Certificate Dollar Bill
The 1878 Bland-Allison Act and the Coinage Act authorized the U.S. Federal Bureau to issue silver certificates for the redemption of the silver coins or silver bullion in denominations ranging from $1 to $1,000.
In 1957, the Federal Bureau minted about 5 billion silver certificate dollar bills. With a 1957 $1 silver certificate, you could go to a bank, issue the certificate, and receive a Peace or Morgan dollar in exchange.
At the start of the 1960s, the world, including the U.S. began facing a severe silver shortage, which saw the price of silver skyrocket. As such the majority of silver coins suddenly became worth more for their intrinsic value than their face value, which led people to hoard and melt this coin.
Widespread hoarding lead to another problem—a nationwide coin shortage. In response, the government stopped producing and issuing of the silver certificates in June, 1963. Certificate holders could still use the existing ones to redeem silver coins but new silver certificates were no longer available.
In 1968, through an Act of Congress, banks could no longer receive silver certificates in exchange for silver coins. But these silver certificates could be exchanged for the federal reserve notes we now use in our day-to-day transactions.
Now let’s take a look at the features and 1957 silver certificate dollar bill value.
Features of the 1957 Silver Certificate Dollar Bill
The Obverse of the 1957 Silver Certificate Dollar Bill
The front side of the 1957 silver certificate dollar bill features the portrait of our country’s first president, George Washington as is the case with all silver certificates issued since 1869.
The bill also features a serial number and two signatures. You will notice the prominent blue seal on the right and the number 1 on all four corners of the certificate.
The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA appears above Washington’s portrait. The denomination, ONE DOLLAR, appears at the bottom of the bill where you will also notice the obligation, “In silver payable to the bearer on demand.”
The Reverse of the 1957 Silver Certificate Dollar Bill
Like other silver certificate dollar bills, the 1957 silver certificate features the Great Seal and a pyramind with the eye of providence.
The Great Seal on the right comprises of a bald eagle with a heraldic shield on its chest. You will notice 13 stripes on the shield and 13 stars above the eagle’s head.
The eagle also holds an olive branch in one of its talons and arrows in the other symbolizing peace and independence respectively. There is also a ribbon in the bird’s beak with the words E PLURIBUS UNUM.
On the left side, you will not an incomplete pyramid set in a barren land. Crowning the pyramid is the Eye of Providence while the figure MDCCLXXVI (1776) indicates the year the country obtained independence.
The words IN GOD WE TRUST and the bill’s denomination, ONE, appear in the middle. The word ONE DOLLAR also appears at the bottom of the bill along the rim while the country’s name is printed at the top along the rim.
Other Features of the 1957 Silver Certificate Dollar Bill
There are other notable features of the 1957 silver certificate dollar bill. Let’s take a look at each:
- Seal
There is a blue seal on the front page of the 1957 silver certificate, with the words Washington DC printed over it. On the left, instead of the usual black Federal Reserve bank seal we see on today’s bank note, there is the number one and the inscription, ‘’This certificate is legal tender for all debts public and private.”
- Serial number
The serial number appears two times on the obverse, one at the top right corner and the other on the bottom left. The first and last articles of the serial number is an alphabetical letter, which bracket the eight numerals.
In some instances, a star appears instead of one letter of the serial numbers. This ensures that neither the U.S. Bureau nor criminals produce banknotes with the same serial number.
- Signature
These dollar bills have two signatures on the obverse, one belonging to the Treasury Secretary and the other to the Treasurer. All three series of the 1957 dollar bill, including Series A and Series B bills follow this format and spot the Treasure and Treasury of State’s signature on the front of the bill.
1957 Silver Certificate Dollar Bill Value Guides
In this section, we will answer the question: how much is a 1957 silver certificate dollar bill worth?
There are three variations of the 1957 silver certificate dollar bill. These include:
- 1957 silver certificate dollar bill
- 1957-A series silver certificate dollar bill
- 1957-B silver certificate dollar bill
The difference between these three bills lies not in their value but in the signatures on the reverse. Each bill has a different set of signatures. Let’s take a look at each.
1957 Silver Certificate Dollar Bill Value
There1957 silver certificate dollar bill features the signatures of Treasury Secretary Robert Bernard Anderson and his Treasurer, Ivy Baker Priest.
There is a lot of hype around the silver certificate bills of 1957. As mentioned, this date is definitely historical as these were the first silver certificates issued with the phrase IN GOD WE TRUST on the reverse. This was also the last year silver certificates were printed and not many people were keen to save these banknotes.
With time, many of the 5 billion silver certificate dollar bills dated 1957 have been lost, damaged, or worn out. Although collectors seem to prefer 1957 dollar silver certificate, the value of these banknotes is not significantly different from the Series A and Series B 1957 silver certificate dollar bills.
The value of these banknotes will depend on factors such as interesting serial number, errors, and the presence of stars on the serial number.
Although silver certificates are still considered legal tender, you cannot use them to pay for goods or services, or exchange them for silver coins.
All in all, a 1957silver certificate dollar bill is worth more or less its face value. In circulated condition, one of these bills would only fetch you about $1 to $5 and about $10 to $15 in uncirculated condition.
As mentioned features such as the appearance of a star or interesting serial numbers can increase the value of a 1957 silver certificate dollar bill by a bit, with such examples commonly costing as much as $20.
1957-A Series Silver Certificate Dollar Bill
The 1957-A series is identifiable by the signatures of Treasury Secretary Clarence Douglas Dillon and Treasurer Elizabeth Rudel Smith.
In circulated condition, the 1957-A bills will sell for $10 to $12 while uncirculated notes will bring in about $20-$22.
Star notes in this series will sell for as much as $24 if they are uncirculated and in mint state.
1957-B Series Silver Certificate Dollar Bill
The signatures of Treasury Secretary Clarence Douglas Dillon and Treasurer Kathryn Elizabeth Granahan appear on the 1957-B series bills.
These dollar bill swill bring in about $8-$10 in circulated condition and up to $24 in uncirculated condition. Star notes will also fetch more or less the same amount as uncirculated 1957-B series bills.
1957 Silver Certificate Dollar Bill Errors
An estimated 5 billion silver certificate dollar bills were printed in 1957. With such a high mintage, you’d expect numerous errors but this was not the case with these dollar bills. In fact, there aren’t any major errors that would significantly affect the value of the 1957 silver certificate bills.
Star notes are rare and have become quite a fascination among collectors. The Bureau would include stars at the start or end of some serial numbers to avoid duplicate serial numbers.
Star notes are not necessarily errors. But, since they are different from the regular serial numbers which start and end with a letter, with eight digits in the middle, these bills are desirable among collectors.
Serial number errors are the most valuable but these are also very rare. Ink inconsistencies, cuts, and folds may also appear on some bills but don’t expect these to bring in a fortune.
There are some special serial number arrangements that can slightly increase the value of a 1957 silver certificate dollar bill. Here are some to watch out for:
- Serial number in which all digits are the number 1
- Birth year serial numbers
- Repeater serial number for 34343434
- Low serial numbers such as those under 00000100 or 00001000
- High serial numbers such as those above 99999900
These are just a few of the serial number arrangements that are of interest to collectors. Generally, any interesting serial number arrangements are considered errors that can boost the value of a 1957silver certificate dollar.
FAQ
How much is a 1957 Series B silver dollar worth?
A 1957-B series silver dollar is worth more or less its face value in circulated condition. Expect to pay $3 or less for such bills and $8-$10 for 1957-B series bills in mint uncirculated condition. It is worth keeping in mind that although there is quite some hype around regular 1957 silver certificate dollar bills, these are not necessarily more valuable than 1957-A and 1957-B silver dollar certificates.
How do I know my 1957 silver certificate dollar bill is rare?
As a rule of thumb, 1957 silver certificate dollar bills are not rare; the Federal Bureau printed 5 billion of these paper note so you can still find a few of them in circulation. However, some 1957 silver certificates are rare, for example those with repetitive serial numbers or other kind of unique serial number arrangement. Star notes are also rare and can be worth slightly more than bills without a star.
What does a 1957 blue seal dollar mean?
A blue seal dollar is simply a silver certificate dollar bill with a blue seal printed on the obverse of the paper note. Silver dollars contained this seal to avoid forgery and to distinguish them from their gold, red, and green seal counterparts.
