1923 One Dollar Red Seal...question

I know virtually nothing about paper currency, but I was told years ago the color of the seal had to do with them being issued to American service men and the color was based on where they were stationed (Africa, SE Asia, Europe).

If anyone knows for sure, I would like to know also.

During WWII the seal color on silver certificates was changed, brown for Hawaii and yellow for North Africa/Italy. The thought behind all this was that if the enemy was to over-run and capture the banks/currency the US government could just declare all the corresponding seal color null and void thus making it worthless.

Yes zee, but if you ever referred to the notes by those names no one would have a clue what you were talking about. They are forever known and referred to by their other names.

Thanks everybody for all the information provided...very interesting. I really want to add the 1923 Red Seal to my other large note collection. There is so much history behind these notes.

US Notes (Legal Tender notes) with red seals date back to the Currency Act of 1878, which (without a history lesson) stated that an outstanding amount of around $350 million was to be maintained in such notes. They were printed off and on over the next 90 years with their own distinctive seal color to meet the terms of this obscure statute, eventually in much smaller quantities than their Silver Certificate and Federal Reserve Note cousins, until the law was changed following the issuance of the final red seals in the Series 1966A $100 notes.

Hope that helps.

There is history knowledge changing hands here! Awesome, please help me understand....National bank notes= backd by bonds deposited in treasury..US Notes= backed by treasury itself...Silver Cert.= backed by physical silver..Gold Notes= backed by physical gold..Federal Reserve Notes= backed by nothing (promise of government)..So part of the Fed. is rapid stimulation of economy,better flow in our banking system, and profits of the banks themselves,as they are not Government owned ?

Well, backed by worldwide faith in our government itself, which in comparison to that of most countries, is quite stable and admired.

Thanks. As long as our paper money is accepted (even preferred often) in most countries around the world, we are in an admirable position, even without bullion conversion privileges. Try spending pesos at your local Wal-mart; dollars are easily converted at Wal-marts in Mexico.