How to Identify Old Paper Money: Series, Serial, Seal and Signatures
Identify old paper money by country, denomination, series year, serial number, seal color, signatures, printing type, condition, and authenticity clues.
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Start a paper money appraisalStart an appraisalIdentification checklist
- Country, denomination, date or series, serial number, seal, signatures, and note type.
- Look for silver certificates, red seals, star notes, emergency overprints, errors, foreign notes, and Confederate notes.
- Check folds, tears, stains, tape, trimming, writing, fading, and holder labels.
What similar items actually sold for
To help ground this guide in real market activity, here are recent example auction comps from Appraisily’s internal database. These matched sales are market context only, not an object estimate or identification, and they do not guarantee a price for your specific silver certificate.
Shown USD range: USD 26-USD 7,000. Median of these 7 USD examples: USD 375.
| Comparable | What sold | Auction house | Date | Lot | Source-reported amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
$5 Blue Seal Large Silver CertificateSource blocked; provenance matched | Apple Tree Auction Center | 2025-09-03 | 3429 | USD 375 (buyer’s-premium treatment unknown) |
 |
Fr. 224. 1896 $1 Silver Certificate. PCGS Banknote Superb Gem Uncirculated 67 PPQ.Source blocked; provenance matched | Stack's Bowers Galleries | 2025-04-04 | 22227 | USD 7,000 (buyer’s-premium treatment unknown) |
 |
1891 $5 Large Size Silver Certificate Grant Grades xf Signatures Tillman/MorganSource blocked; provenance matched | Key Date Coins | 2025-08-24 | 11910 | USD 1,900 (buyer’s-premium treatment unknown) |
 |
Large 1923 Series $1.00 Silver Certificate w/ Minor DamageSource blocked; provenance matched | Richard L. Edwards Auctioneer | 2026-01-26 | 199 | USD 26 (buyer’s-premium treatment unknown) |
 |
Fr. 242. 1886 $2 Silver Certificate. PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ.Source blocked; provenance matched | Stack's Bowers Galleries | 2024-08-16 | 21151 | USD 6,500 (buyer’s-premium treatment unknown) |
 |
1899 $1 large size Silver Certificate "Black Eagle" Grades vf+ Signatures Speelman/WhiteSource blocked; provenance matched | Key Date Coins | 2025-08-16 | 11126 | USD 190 (buyer’s-premium treatment unknown) |
 |
Large 1923 Series $1.00 Silver Certificate w/ Pinholes & TearSource blocked; provenance matched | Richard L. Edwards Auctioneer | 2026-03-09 | 314 | USD 42 (buyer’s-premium treatment unknown) |
How these auction records were verified
Each row retains its exact source URL, lot identity, retrieval time, access result, and immutable record hash. Live source access was blocked; the exact record matched Appraisily's immutable pipeline provenance. Inspect the public comparable provenance record.
Disclosure: prices are shown as reported by auction houses and are provided for appraisal context. Learn more in our editorial policy.
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