1935 $1 Silver Certificate: Series, Signatures and Varieties

Why there are so many 1935 dollars

The 1935 design stayed in production for nearly three decades. The date only marks the design. Each time a new Treasurer or Secretary took office, the series letter moved up one step and the new signatures went onto the plates. Plates were used until they wore out, so an older letter can turn up printed later than a newer one. Some 1935 dated dollars were still being released in 1963.

That long run is why these notes fill so many cigar boxes and dresser drawers. Billions were printed. Your grandparents probably handled them every day. A folded, worn 1935 of any letter is a common note. That is the honest starting point for valuing one.

Series 1935 $1 silver certificates: signatures and notable variants

What the 1935 design changed

Compared with the 1934 note, the blue 1 on the left became smaller and gray, the gray ONE on the right disappeared and the seal shrank, with a stylized ONE DOLLAR printed over it. The bigger change was on the back. The funnyback gave way to the design still used on the $1: both sides of the Great Seal, with the pyramid and eye on the left and the eagle on the right. President Roosevelt suggested changes to the layout himself.

On the 1935 notes the back has no motto. IN GOD WE TRUST was added during the 1935G printing, so the motto is a quick way to separate late notes from early ones.

The 1935A family: Hawaii, North Africa, R and S

Series 1935A is the busy one. Besides ordinary blue seal notes, it was used for three special issues during World War II. Hawaii notes have a brown seal and brown serial numbers with HAWAII printed on both sides. North Africa notes have a yellow seal with blue serial numbers. Each has its own page here because their stories and values differ from a plain 1935A.

The third is a paper test. In June 1944 the Treasury released 1935A notes overprinted with a large red R or S on the right side of the face. R marked regular paper and S marked a special paper, so the two could be compared in circulation. Each letter had 1,184,000 notes. The R notes fall in serial range S70884001C to S72068000C and the S notes in S73884001C to S75068000C. They make up a tiny share of all 1935A dollars and sit in the collector premium band even worn, with star notes rarer still.

Other varieties worth checking

A few smaller varieties are easy to check with a magnifier and a comparison picture.

• Experimental blocks on plain 1935: PMG records test printings in the AB, BB and CB serial blocks (a serial starting with A, B or C and ending in B), covering a special finish, a special paper and a regular paper control.
• Mules: in 1938 the tiny plate check numbers on face and back were enlarged so they would stay readable on worn notes. Notes printed with one old size plate and one new size plate are called mules and are collected as varieties of Series 1935 and 1935A.
• 1935D wide and narrow: the back design was printed in two slightly different widths. The difference is small, so compare against a known example before assuming you have the scarcer one.
• 1935G motto and no motto: the motto was added partway through the series, so 1935G exists both ways. Collectors treat the two as separate varieties.

What a 1935 dollar is worth

Plain 1935 through 1935H notes in worn condition are face value to small premium notes. Crisp uncirculated examples move into the collector premium band, especially for the earlier letters. Star notes, with the star in front of the serial, earn a premium in nearly every letter and more in high grade. The 1935A R and S notes, the Hawaii and North Africa issues and well documented mules all carry collector premiums. A fancy serial number, such as a solid, ladder or very low number, can lift any note.

One caution: the blue seal alone does not make a note rare. Sellers sometimes describe ordinary 1935 dollars as rare silver certificates. They are genuine and interesting, but common.

What to do with yours

Read the series letter, check the seal color, look for a red R or S, look for a star and glance at the serial number. If none of those stands out and the note is folded, keep it as a piece of history or spend it; either is a reasonable choice. If anything does stand out, sleeve the note, keep it flat and get an opinion from a paper money dealer or a grading service.

Frequently asked questions