Friedberg 37 (W-34). 1917 $1 Legal Tender Note. PCGS Currency Choice About New 58.This Elliott-Burke signed 1917 $1 Legal Tender note prominently displays serial number M1A in red on its face along with a cherry red scalloped Treasury Seal. The engraved design elements are all sharply printed in bold inks including the vignette at left which depicts Christopher Columbus in sight of land in 1492. The engraving was done by Joseph Prosper Ourdan. Only light corner handling prevents this serial number 1 note from a full New grade designation. The grading service mentions "Small repaired edge tear at top right" on the back of the holder, otherwise not apt to be noticed. The note was previously offered as Gem Uncirculated when it last traded hands for $26,450 in a March 2005 auction.<p><strong>$1 Legal Tender Notes, Series of 1917</strong><p><p>This series continues the same basic designs as the series of 1880, with Columbus and his contingent in a vignette at the left and Gilbert Stuarts portrait of Washington at the center. The overprint elements -- the Treasury Seal and the serial number in duplicate -- are in red, as described above. The back has the series number in an open panel to the left and, to the right, a description of the notes value and a warning against counterfeiting.<br style="box-sizing:border-box;color:#333333;font-family:Avenir, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;background-color:#ffffff;" /><br style="box-sizing:border-box;color:#333333;font-family:Avenir, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;background-color:#ffffff;" />The Series of 1917 $1 Legal Tender Notes, as well as later large-size issues made until 1928, offer an interesting area for collecting and studying plate variations and combinations, signature varieties, and other differences. These early 20th century bills are for the most part quite inexpensive for the $1 value, as here, and for other low denominations.<p><p><em>From Mike Abramson Fixed Price List November 1998; Lyn Knights sale of June 2000, lot 194; Lyn Knights sale of March 2005, lot 532.</em>