1935 silver certificate
The long-running $1 series, printed from 1935 through to 1935H across more than a decade — and the series with the genuinely valuable wartime varieties.
What it is worth
The short answer for the note most people have: a circulated example is worth a few dollars. Condition is what separates that from the figures at the other end of the table.
| Denomination | Circulated | Uncirculated |
|---|---|---|
| $1 | $2 – $5 | $8 – $25 |
Where these numbers come from
Unlike the serial number odds and star note print runs elsewhere on this site, these figures are not computed and do not come from a government production report — no such dataset exists for silver certificate prices. They reflect commonly observed dealer and auction ranges, they are wide on purpose, and a real price for your note comes from completed sales of the same series in the same grade.
How to be sure that is what you have
- Blue seal and blue serial numbers.
- The series year on the face reads 1935 with a letter suffix from A to H, or none.
- Earlier printings lack "IN GOD WE TRUST" on the back; it was added during the 1935G run.
Why it is priced the way it is
The base series is as common as the 1957 and worth about the same. What makes 1935 worth reading carefully is the wartime emergency issues and the experimental notes, which sit in the same series and are worth many times more. Check the seal colour before you conclude anything.
Varieties that change the answer
Most signature and series-letter combinations make no practical difference. These do.
- HAWAII overprint (1935A). Brown seal and brown serials, with HAWAII overprinted large on the back. Issued for the Pacific theatre so it could be demonetised if the islands fell. Worth substantially more than an ordinary 1935 — tens of dollars circulated, into the hundreds uncirculated.
- North Africa (1935A). Yellow seal, issued for the North African campaign for the same reason. Comparable premium to the Hawaii note.
- Experimental R and S (1935A). A small red R or S beside the seal, from a 1944 test of alternative paper. Genuinely rare — low four figures uncirculated — and heavily faked. Authenticate before buying.
Check the serial number before you conclude anything
A collector pattern in the eight digits adds a premium on top of whatever the note is worth as a 1935 silver certificate, and it is the one factor nobody checks. A solid, a ladder, a radar or a serial under 100 can be worth more than the note itself.
Silver certificates are not Federal Reserve Notes, so the letter before the serial is a block letter rather than a Federal Reserve district. Our checker tests the eight digits for collector patterns, which applies here exactly as it does to any other note — but ignore the district and series decoding it reports for a silver certificate, because that is Federal Reserve Note logic.
Check a serial for collector patterns — it tests all 34 at once and shows the computed odds for each.
Replacement notes
Ordinary 1935 star notes are common. A star on one of the wartime or experimental varieties is a different matter entirely and should be authenticated.
Questions
How much is a 1935 silver certificate worth?
In circulated condition, a $1 runs $2 – $5. Uncirculated examples are worth considerably more. Condition drives the answer more than anything else, and the ranges are wide because the market for these is set by completed sales rather than a price list.
Is a 1935 silver certificate rare?
No. This series was printed in very large numbers and saved in very large numbers. It is worth more than face value because it is a silver certificate, not because it is scarce.
Can I still redeem a silver certificate for silver?
No. Redemption for silver ended in June 1968. A silver certificate is still legal tender at face value, which is why a worn common one is worth a little over face rather than nothing — but the silver promise printed on it is no longer honoured.
Does the serial number affect the value?
It can, and it is the one thing most people never check. A collector pattern in the eight digits — a solid, a ladder, a radar, a very low number — adds a premium on top of whatever the note is worth as a silver certificate. The patterns and their odds are the same as on any other US note.
Selling one? Where to sell rare currency covers the options and what each costs you.