silver certificate

American

noun

a former paper currency first issued in 1878 by the U.S. federal government for circulation, equal to and redeemable for silver to a stated value.

silver certificate British

noun

(formerly) a banknote issued by the US Treasury to the public and redeemable in silver

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of silver certificate

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In the 19th Century, the first US First Lady, Martha Washington, was on the $1 silver certificate and Native American heroine Pocahontas was in a group picture on the $20 bill.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2022

Since you are unable to redeem a silver certificate for silver, you are probably wondering if it is worth anything.

From Encyclopedia.com • Apr. 9, 2018

It would repeal the Silver Purchase Act and begin the retirement of silver certificate one dollar bills.

From Encyclopedia.com • Apr. 9, 2018

Investigators also tracked him to a series of silver certificate bills he lost at a casino.

From Washington Times • Mar. 9, 2018

A silver certificate for $500 weighs less than a gold dollar.

From If Not Silver, What? by Bookwalter, John W.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023