1957 $1 Silver Certificate (1957, 1957A, 1957B)

Why the 1957 series got a new date

The face of a 1957 dollar looks almost the same as a late 1935 note, so why a new series year? Printing. In 1957 the Bureau of Engraving and Printing installed new high-speed rotary intaglio presses that printed 32 notes to a sheet. The $1 silver certificate was the first note made on them. The plates for the new presses carried the motto IN GOD WE TRUST on the back, above the word ONE.

The Treasury reports that the first notes with the motto entered circulation on October 1, 1957. Older flat-bed presses kept printing 1935 series notes for a while, which is why 1935E and 1935F lack the motto while later 1935G and all 1935H notes have it. So the motto alone does not prove you have a 1957; the series date on the face does.

Series 1957 $1 silver certificates: signatures

Reading the signatures

There are only three signature pairs. Ivy Baker Priest and Robert B. Anderson signed 1957. Elizabeth Rudel Smith and C. Douglas Dillon signed 1957A. Kathryn O'Hay Granahan and Dillon signed 1957B. The Treasurer's signature is on the left of the face and the Secretary's on the right.

Dillon is the same Treasury Secretary who stopped paying out silver dollars for certificates in March 1964. A 1957A or 1957B dollar carries the signature of the official who began winding down the promise printed on it.

Can you still get silver for a 1957 dollar?

No. After March 1964 the Treasury only paid out silver granules instead of silver dollars. That window closed on June 24, 1968. The note still says one dollar in silver payable to the bearer on demand, but the government no longer honors that in silver. It is still legal tender, so it spends as one dollar.

The 1957 series was also the end of the line. A 1963 law repealed the Silver Purchase Act and let Federal Reserve Banks issue $1 notes. Those green seal dollars replaced silver certificates. No silver certificate carries a series date later than 1957B.

What makes a 1957 dollar worth more than face value

Because so many were printed and saved, a 1957 dollar needs something extra to rise above the bottom bands. Here is what to look for, roughly in order of how often it matters:

• Condition: a crisp note with no folds, sharp corners and bright paper is worth more than a soft, folded one. Uncirculated notes reach a small premium and better.
• A star before the serial number: 1957 star notes are much less common than regular notes and usually earn a premium, more so when crisp.
• Fancy serials: very low numbers, solids such as 55555555, ladders and repeaters can bring a collector premium.
• Consecutive runs: two or more notes in serial order, especially uncirculated, are worth more together than apart.
• Errors: a misaligned print, a missing print, a cutting error or a mismatched serial number is a separate category. Those can climb into the collector premium band or higher depending on how dramatic they are.

Is a blue seal 1957 dollar rare?

No. It helps to hear that plainly. Sellers sometimes list 1957 dollars as rare silver certificates. They are real silver certificates, but they are among the most common ones. A worn 1957, 1957A or 1957B note is a face value or small premium item. What it offers is a good story: the first paper money with the motto and the last silver certificate series, printed on presses that changed how US currency was made.

What to do with yours

Check the series letter, the condition, the serial number and whether there is a star. If it is folded and plain, keep it as a keepsake or spend it; both are fine. If it is crisp, a star note, part of a consecutive run or has an unusual serial, put it in an archival sleeve and show it to a paper money dealer. Do not press, wash or trim a note to improve it, because collectors pay less for altered notes.

Frequently asked questions