The SilverTowne Vault Blog

100 Greatest American Currency Notes Series: Series of 1900, Canceled Issue $10,000 Gold Certificate

Published 12/16/2025

With help from authors Q. David Bowers and David M. Sundman, we get the chance to learn more about the notes gracing Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest American Currency Notes list. Our next currency note focus will have you scratching your head for a multitude of reasons. From restricted use, the denomination, and a fire that made them public, let us take a closer look at this rarity note.

#69 – Series of 1900, Canceled Issue $10,000 Gold Certificate

When Series of 1900 $10,000 Gold Certificates were issued, they were only printed for the intention of using them for “interdepartmental transactions within the government,” according to authors Bowers and Sundman. They were not released into circulation, but their production was relatively high with 393,000 printed. When the mid 1930s came around, most of the notes had been punch cancelled.

However, in December 1935 a fire that raged in the building they were being stored...read more