Gold Certificate

E3646

A Gold Certificate was a form of U.S. paper currency once redeemable in gold coin and used primarily in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf form of United States paper currency
representative money
backedBy gold
backingLocation gold held in the U.S. Treasury
circulationType paper currency
circulationUsers banks
general public (in some periods)
large commercial enterprises
collectorField numismatics
collectorStatus highly collectible
country United States
denominatedIn United States dollar
denominationRange various denominations including high-value notes
designFeature denominations printed in large numerals
gold-colored elements on some issues
portraits of notable American figures
faceValue denominated in dollars equal to the gold claim
historicalContext issued during periods when the U.S. operated on a gold standard
introduced 1860s
issuedBy United States Treasury
legalStatus once redeemable in gold coin
legalTenderStatusAfter1933 no longer redeemable in gold
remained legal to hold only for certain uses until later changes
monetaryPolicyImpact part of gold-backed currency system prior to 1933
monetaryRole circulating medium of exchange
claim on gold held by the U.S. government
purpose to facilitate gold-backed transactions
to represent ownership of gold held by the U.S. Treasury
redeemabilityEnded 1933
redeemabilityEndedReason United States abandonment of the domestic gold standard
redeemabilityEndedUnder Franklin D. Roosevelt administration
redeemableAt U.S. Treasury
sub-treasury offices
redeemableFor gold coin
relatedTo Federal Reserve Note
Silver Certificate
United States Gold Standard
United States Note
riskDuringCirculation subject to confiscation after gold recall orders in 1933
securityFeature distinctive paper and printing techniques
serial numbers
signatures of Treasury officials
statusToday may have value as a collectible above face value
no longer issued
not redeemable in gold
usedPrimarilyInPeriod early 20th century
late 19th century


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