US Banknotes

Silver certificates were bills backed by silver on deposit with the Treasury. They could be issued only in quantities that didn't exceed the total value of that silver. At one time, when the price of silver was fixed by the government, it was possible to exchange these bills for silver bullion as well as coins. When the price of silver was deregulated in the mid-1960s silver certificates were discontinued and the practice of exchanging for metal was ended. Most silver certificates are recognizable by their blue seals.

National Currency Notes were an unusual form of paper currency issued by banks that had received a charter from the Federal government. A chartered bank could accept government bonds on deposit and in return issue banknotes up to the total value of those bonds. The bills used designs that were to other bills of the same denomination but also carried the name and charter number of the issuing bank. They were issued from 1863 to 1929.

Federal Reserve Notes are the only kind of currency now printed in the US. All have green seals. They're produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing* for each of the 12 districts administered by the Federal Reserve system, the nation's central bank. They're not backed by any gold or silver but instead rely on the stability of the government to validate their acceptance in the marketplace.

United States Notes were a fourth major form of paper money. These were currency issued by the Federal Government but not backed by gold or silver on deposit. Most US Notes had red seals and serial numbers. They were issued from 1862 to 1966, and were discontinued only as a money-saving move to consolidate all currency production and administration under the Federal Reserve.

(*) Regardless of common myths and misunderstandings, only the BEP makes bills. The US Mint is responsible for coins and is totally separate from the BEP.

It's not made by the government, it's not a Federal Reserve Note, and you can't spend it in a store. However, it IS a privately-made bullion item containing a troy pound of silver so it's certainly worth a moderate amount for its metal content.

A troy pound is 373.24 grams or 12 troy ounces. Precious-metal prices change every day so any specific answer posted here would be out of date almost immediately. While it's not normal WikiAnswers policy to say "use the Internet", that's the best approach in this case. You can check a site such as kitco.com, CNNMoney, etc. for the latest spot prices and multiply by 12.

go to a coin and dollar museum

> Their dates

> What letter if any is next to or below the date

> What color their seals are

For older bills you often need to know what bank or Federal Reserve district issued them, how worn they are, and other things that depend on the individual bill.

As of 02/2015 approximate prices are:

Blue Seal -

Circulated: $150 to $400 depending on the bill's condition

Uncirculated: $600

Red Seal -

Circulated: $1000 to $2000 depending on the bill's condition

Uncirculated: $4000

Serial Numbers

A bill's serial number is a counter and a security feature. In most cases it doesn't affect a bill's value or help to identify it. Some collectors specialize in bills with low serial numbers (e.g. 00000005) or unusual patterns (12344321) so these can bring above-average prices.

DISCLAIMER: The values quoted are market averages as of the date shown, but may be different for an individual bill due to variations in quality and other factors. Also the wholesale (buying) price of a bill will be less than the selling (retail) price. A reputable currency dealer will be able to give a more accurate valuation based on an in-person inspection.

You have a privately-issued novelty item, not a genuine bill:

• The US didn't print any bills of any kind dated 2000
• The US never printed a gold certificate worth less than $10.
• The last gold certificates in any other denomination were dated 1928.

You may find niche collectors who are willing to pay a premium for your "bill" if it's in pristine condition and in its original case.