What Are Series 1957 $1 Silver Certificate Worth? Are These Old Dollars Valuable?

Did you find some old Series 1957 $1 Silver Certificate bills and want to know what they’re worth?

The 1957 dollar bill is one of the most highly searched pieces of paper money anywhere online.

The crazy thing is that most 1957 $1 bill values are higher than just 1 dollar, so it pays to look for these old dollar bills in circulation. They definitely still turn up.

I’ve landed a few old dollar bills from cash transactions over the years myself. You may be surprised by some of these old 1957 dollar bill values… I know I was!

Are 1957 Dollar Bills Rare?

Many folks use plastic cards and phone apps to buy things these days, with fewer and fewer carrying or opting to use cash. But if you use enough cash (and is there really such a thing as “enough cash”? I contend there is not!), you’ll see that old paper money — and especially dollar bills — don’t really turn up very often.

There’s a reason for this…

Dollar bills see so much use in commerce (despite the fact that many people don’t use cash anymore), that the average lifespan of dollar bills in circulation is only 6.6 years according to the latest Federal Reserve estimates. So, it’s little wonder old dollar bills are pretty scarce in the wild.

Which begs the question… “Are Series 1957 $1 Silver Certificates rare?”

Good question indeed. They don’t show up in circulation too often. The ones that do probably were either part of a collection and used as money by accident or had been held for a long time before being spent again.

Even though Series 1957 dollar bills are extremely scarce in circulation, they are generally not rare.

In fact, billions (with a “B”) were printed, making them extremely common in the absolute sense. So, even though you won’t find too many of them just floating around, there are many held in collections — enough to satisfy collector demand.

Here’s a breakdown on how many 1957 dollars bills were printed by type and signatures:

• 1957 Priest / Anderson — 2,609,600,000 (that’s over 2.6 billion)
• 1957* (Star Note / Replacement Note) Priest / Anderson — 302,400,000
• 1957-A Smith / Dillon –1,594,080,000 (more than 1.59 billion)
• 1957-A* (Star Note / Replacement Note) Smith / Dillon — 92,320,000
• 1957-B Granahan / Dillon — 718,400,000
• 1957-B* (Star Note / Replacement Note) Granahan / Dillon — 48,000,000

Star Notes (also called Replacement Notes) are those that have a little asterisk after the serial number to indicate that bill replaced a destroyed note printed an error that contained that same serial number.

Star Notes in general are scarce, and 1957 $1 Star Notes are worth small premiums over regular 1957 $1 Silver Certificates.

What Are Series 1957 One Dollar Bills Worth?

OK, so I’ve introduced the fact that most Series 1957 $1 Silver Certificates are not rare. And I also mentioned that Series 1957 Star Note Dollar Bills are worth more than regular 1957 $1 bills.

But how much are these old dollar bills worth?

Here’s the info you’re looking for:

• Ragged, torn Series 1957 $1 bills are generally worth $1 — might still be something to hang onto because of the age and novelty, but these aren’t worth anything extra.
• A typical, heavily worn 1957 $1 bill with no rips, tears, or stains, is worth $1.50 to $2 — more than face value.
• Moderately circulated 1957 dollar bills that show signs of wear but no fold marks, holes, or other damage are worth approximately $5.
• Typical uncirculated 1957 $1 Silver Certificates have a value of $8 to $12 — with values going higher for especially well-preserved examples (more on this shortly…)
• Lightly to moderately worn 1957 $1 Star Notes / Replacement Notes normally fetch $4 to $9 — be sure to keep your eyes peeled for these valuable 1957 dollar bills!
• Uncirculated 1957 $1 Star Notes / Replacement Notes go for $12 and up.

The Most Valuable Series 1957 Dollar Bills

Some Series 1957 $1 Silver Certificates are worth a lot more than the values listed above… This is especially the case if your old dollar bill has an error — such as a misprinting or something unusual with the serial number.

One of the coolest types of paper currency oddities is the so-called Radar Note. Basically, it’s when a palindrome occurs in the serial number (which means the number can be read the same forward or backward). A 1957 $1 Radar Note may sell for anywhere between $10 to $100, depending on the arrangement of the number.

Another kind of serial number oddity may involve the appearance of a date of birth — like 11141953 (or November 14, 1953). As you’d expect, something like this will have greater value to very specific people, and therefore there isn’t really a set book value for something like this. However, some people have been known to pay nicely sometimes even hundreds of dollars) for a bill containing a birthday serial number.

Imagine how much one might pay if their birthday was in 1957, and they found a note bearing a serial number reflecting their month, day, and year of birth on a Series 1957 dollar bill!

One of the most valuable Series 1957 $1 Silver Certificates contained an incredible serial number… X00000001A. This spectacular 1957 dollar bill was graded Gem Crisp Uncirculated and sold for $8,050 in a 2005 auction.

Lastly, I want to recommend an extremely educational book about Silver Certificates (and all types of U.S. paper currency). It’s called A Guide Book of United States Paper Money, by Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg.