Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
See the design evolution of US cash from the first Demand Notes in 1861 to the present day.
➤ Support this channel with my Patreon!: patreon.com/emperortigerstar
Notes:
- This only covers notes that were legal tender and in public hands (aside from the $100,000 bill which was noted due to its unique nature).
- Gold and silver certificates at times had different designs than the Legal Tender notes or Federal Reserve Notes. The design shown is always the most prominent one used by the average person at the time, which by default is either the LT notes or FR notes.
- Some images just couldn't be found without minor alignment issues or folds. Had to work with what I could find.
- The original $10,000 gold certificate note *from what I could find* either had a blank back or the information is lost. Nothing I found for specifically the 1865 original showed the backside, hence why it's omitted.
Music:
"Lively Lumpsucker" by Kevin MacLeod
found at incompetech.com
Sources:
- Friedberg, Arthur L.., Friedberg, Ira S.. Paper Money of the United States: The Standard Reference Work on Paper Money. from Colonial Times to the Present. A Complete Illustrated Guide with Valuations. United States: Coin & Currency Institute, Incorporated, 2010.
- en.numista.com
- uspapermoney.info/history
See the design evolution of US cash from the first Demand Notes in 1861 to the present day.
➤ Support this channel with my Patreon!: patreon.com/emperortigerstar
Notes:
- This only covers notes that were legal tender and in public hands (aside from the $100,000 bill which was noted due to its unique nature).
- Gold and silver certificates at times had different designs than the Legal Tender notes or Federal Reserve Notes. The design shown is always the most prominent one used by the average person at the time, which by default is either the LT notes or FR notes.
- Some images just couldn't be found without minor alignment issues or folds. Had to work with what I could find.
- The original $10,000 gold certificate note *from what I could find* either had a blank back or the information is lost. Nothing I found for specifically the 1865 original showed the backside, hence why it's omitted.
Music:
"Lively Lumpsucker" by Kevin MacLeod
found at incompetech.com
Sources:
- Friedberg, Arthur L.., Friedberg, Ira S.. Paper Money of the United States: The Standard Reference Work on Paper Money. from Colonial Times to the Present. A Complete Illustrated Guide with Valuations. United States: Coin & Currency Institute, Incorporated, 2010.
- en.numista.com
- uspapermoney.info/history
