United States $1 Silver Certificate

These are $1 Silver Certificates from when a dollar was based on a corresponding amount of silver in a vault guaranteed by the US Government. These certificates were printed until 1964, but the Treasury department allowed them to be redeemed for silver bullion until June 24th, 1968 after which they lost their monetary value as currency. They are now collector's items to remind us that money printed in the United States used to be tied to something of real value, not just a paper promise.