US Banknotes

It is on the left of George Washington's picture.

1957 US $1 silver certificates are common among collectors. In circulated condition it has little added value - maybe 50 cents extra. A nice crisp uncirculated one may be worth $3 to $6 or more.

Blue Ink

All silver certificates dated 1928 to 1957 had blue seals and serial numbers. That color was used to distinguish the bills from other bills (Federal Reserve Notes, United States Notes) that were also issued. Today only green-seal Federal Reserve Notes are produced.

Serial Numbers

A bill's serial number is just a counter so including it in a question generally doesn't help to identify it or affect its value. There are collectors who will pay a premium for bills with low or patterned serial numbers; e.g.12345678 or 00000005.

Silver Value

It's no longer possible to redeem silver certificates for silver metal. That practice was ended after the price of silver was deregulated, to prevent people from "gaming" the exchange process by trading bills for metal and vice versa as rates fluctuated.

Silver Certificates were abolished by Congress on June 4, 1963 and all redemption in silver ceased on June 24, 1968. However the bills have never been withdrawn or demonetized so they're still valid legal tender at face value.

US bills printed before 1990 didn't have a lot of security features on them. You can still look for the following:

• Hold the bill up to a light and look for tiny blue and red fibers embedded in the paper. There won't be a watermark or security strip like newer bills, though.
• The paper will have a substantial feel to it, the same as modern bills.
• The denticles (teeth) on the Federal Reserve Seal will be sharp and uniform.
• The engraving of Franklin's face will be sharply-defined and appear almost 3D if viewed from a slight distance.

Your bill is most likely a Federal Reserve Bank Note which is somewhat different from a standard Federal Reserve Note. As of 05/2015 approximate retail prices are:

• Circulated: $60 to $125 depending on the bill's condition
• Uncirculated: $150

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.

1953 US $5 bills were issued in two types, so it's important to make sure you check your bill. Silver certificates were printed with blue seals and serial numbers and have the words "Silver Certificate" across the top of the bill.

As of 10/2010, they retail for $8-$10 in circulated condition and $18-$20 uncirculated.

In God We Trust

The motto wasn't added to $5 bills until 1963, so it's not an error if you don't see the motto on earlier bills.

Serial Numbers

It's normally not necessary to provide a bill's serial number. Serial numbers are counters and a security feature but rarely affect a bill's value. Some collectors will pay extra for numbers with a special pattern, e.g. 12345678, or low numbers such as 00000015.

Blue ink indicates your bill is a now-obsolete form of paper money called a silver certificate but more information is needed to help value it. For a specific answer enter a question in the large box at the top of the screen using this wording:

If there's a small letter next to the date, include that in the question; e.g.

Note that the bill's serial number isn't generally helpful in valuing it.

As of 04/2014 approximate prices are:

Circulated: $5 to $7 depending on the bill's condition

Uncirculated: $13

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.

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And FWIW, there aren't any US bills with series dates in the 1940s. Back then the practice was to run a "series" until there was a major design change, and because bills weren't redesigned very often in the mid-20th century, a single series could run for as much as 30 years without a date change.