$100,000 Gold Certificate 1934 Real or Fake

[nutmegcollector]

 

This 100,000 Dollar Gold Certificate is the highest U. S. denomination. Only 42,000 were printed. They were used only for transactions between the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department. These notes were never issued for public circulation. When the Government stopped using them in the early 1960s, most were destroyed.

 

Only three are known to have survived. One is housed at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, one at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and one at the Smithsonian Institute.

 

It's illegal for a private person to own one of these notes, and none has ever been in private hands. All 42,000 were accounted for. However, I have come across several poor quality counterfeits. They seem to be originated from Asia.

 

I received many letters, mostly from people in the Philippines, claiming they have found bundles of these notes. Some enclosed photos and even "Certificates of Authenticity".

 

Upon close examination, the notes appear to be poor quality counterfeits. Careful reading of the wordings of these certificates turns up to be nothing more than official looking nonsense.

 

You can read a few sample letters I received together with photos at

 

http://nutmegcollector.blogspot.com/2010/0...34-real-or.html

[Saor Alba]

I saw the one that is in the SF FRB back when I was in high school, we went on a tour of the bank, and they took us down in the operations area where they showed us counterfeits, but also have displays of quite a few of the older notes like the $100K on the walls.

[jtryka]

I saw a sheet of speciment $100,000 notes at the BEP display at the ANA in Portland in 2003 or 2004, whenever it was. Most of the counterfeits are used to create fictional bearer bonds, and not really currency (keep in mind these notes were the same size as current US currency notes), so they are usually part of some larger scam.

[ccg]

Some of them (especially the 'secret book') one are just hilarious.

[ccg]

BTW, you're website's great! I remember first coming across it a few years ago when I was looking for info on the Hungarian 1940s inflation note.

[Art]

Very interesting.

[bessjj]

i have a very strange note that i can only assume is fake or a mistake. it is a 1934 100000 gold cert,the side with wilson is printed on both sides. also the bill is in poor shape looking faded and stained. its also been torn and taped. anybody have a clue what this really is?

[Balaji Murthy]

I saw a sheet of speciment $100,000 notes at the BEP display at the ANA in Portland in 2003 or 2004, whenever it was. Most of the counterfeits are used to create fictional bearer bonds, and not really currency (keep in mind these notes were the same size as current US currency notes), so they are usually part of some larger scam.

 

Yes, I recall seeing this sheet (a 16-subject sheet I think) too at the 2009 show in Portland.

[Brett]

There is a 12 note sheet located at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmonds money museum

[Celifrog]

Wuu? Never heard of such a thing?

I knew of 500$ bills and 1000$bills though.

[hiho]

The New York Times Sunday magazine had a color reproduction of this exact note many years ago. It was the same size as the one pictured here.

 

I cut it out and laminated it with clear shipping tape and used it for years as a bookmark. Which I believe I left in a library book.

[Saor Alba]

The New York Times Sunday magazine had a color reproduction of this exact note many years ago. It was the same size as the one pictured here.

 

I cut it out and laminated it with clear shipping tape and used it for years as a bookmark. Which I believe I left in a library book.

 

 

You #$&*^@$, you probably got some fool's heart racing thinking they were suddenly loaded - and I bet their pants were when they found out it was a fake