Silver Certificates were US currency issued from 1878 to 1964. Prior to 1968, these certificates were redeemable for the face value of the certificate in silver coins or the equivalent in silver bullion. After 1968, the federal government discontinued the practice of redemption for silver and began allowing owners to redeem the certificates only for Federal Reserve Notes. They are still considered legal tender, but many collectors value Silver Certificates in uncirculated condition above their face value.

Many of the remaining Silver Certificates in circulation are only worth face value and are spent in the same way as the modern Federal Reserve Notes. Some, however, depending on age, condition, and face value, are sought after in collectors markets, and can sometimes bring a price far greater than their face value. A Silver Certificate in good condition from the 1880s and 1890s can be valued at several hundred US dollars.

The Silver Certificate has several characteristics that differentiate it from a Federal Reserve Note. The first of these is the small print on the bill itself that states that there is “X” amount in silver at the US Treasury to be paid to the owner of the certificate. The "X" amount would be the face value of the Silver Certificate.

Another feature unique to a Silver Certificate is that the serial number, number value, and seal initially were printed in blue, brown and red. This color variety was changed in 1899 to just blue, with the exception of the 1935a series of certificates that were printed during World War II. During this time, certificates sent to Hawaii had brown seals and those sent to North Africa had yellow seals. These printing differences were intended to prevent losses that could occur if enemies managed to acquire those areas during the war — the US government could cancel those two color schemes, thereby making the money worthless to the enemy.

During the 1940s and 1950s, the number of Silver Certificates in circulation began to decline. As the certificates were redeemed for silver coins or bullion, they were shredded and not reprinted unless there was enough silver in the treasury to back them. By the 1960s, the silver used to make the coins was worth more than the coin's face value and the exchange stopped making financial sense for the government.

In 1964, the US government discontinued the exchange of Silver Certificates for silver dollars, but redemption for bullion continued for another four years. On June 24, 1968, the government ended the silver exchange completely and bearers of the Silver Certificates could only exchange them for Federal Reserve Notes. In the 1970s, most of the remaining silver dollars in the US treasury were sold to the public at collector values.