Friedberg 224 (W-59). 1896 $1 Silver Certificate. PCGS Currency Superb Gem New 67 PPQ.The $1 is the lowest and most available denomination in the 1896 "Educational Note" series, a high water mark in bank-note artistry. On the face is <em>History Instructing Youth,</em> with the goddess and her pupil positioned approximately where the Lee mansion is, across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. She points to the Washington Monument. The panorama of America spreads before them, with the Capitol, the Washington Monument, and more. To the right a book is opened to reveal the beginning text of the Constitution. Around the border at the left, top, and right within wreaths are the names of famous people in American history: Longfellow, Sherman (presumably William Tecumseh, not John), Lincoln, Irving, Cooper, Fulton, Calhoun, Clay, Jackson, Adams (either John or John Quincy), Jefferson, Washington (within a wreath larger than the others), Franklin, Hamilton, Perry, Marshall, Webster, Morse, Hawthorne, Bancroft, Grant, Farragut, and Emerson. All have a small red seal with spiked border. The design is by Will H. Low, a talented artist in the private sector, with engraving by Charles Schlecht, and with some changes by Thomas F. Morris.<p><p>The printing of the new $1 notes began on April 18, 1896, and distribution took place in the summer. The word "tranquility" was spelled this way, with a single l, on the Constitution, illustrated on the right side of the face of the note. Correct preferred spelling in the 1890s was "tranquillity," and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing was criticized for making an error. However, a reading of the original Constitution revealed the "tranquility" style, and it was preserved. <p><p>Ideal centering and registration are observed on the presently offered example, which bears the engraved signatures of Tillman and Morgan. The intricate design is presented in stunning detail by striking inks. Wholly original paper displays hints of natural paper wave and original embossing. Just a single example has been certified finer by PCGS Currency. This is as nice an example of this immensely popular type as you are ever likely to find.<p><p><strong>PCGS Population: </strong>26, 1 finer.
