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5 Dollars Silver Certificate - 'Indian Chief Note'
| Issuer | United States Treasury |
|---|---|
| Year | 1899 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Dollars (5 USD) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Portrait vignette of Chief Running Antelope occupies the center of the note, framed by intricate lathe-work guilloche. At left, a large blue numeral 'V' with the word 'FIVE' superimposed above it, with the serial number printed below; at right, a blue Treasury seal with the serial number appearing above it. The overall design is executed in dark intaglio against a pale underprint, with ornate foliate scrollwork bordering the composition. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Silver Certificate United States of America This Certificate Is Receivable For Customs, Taxes, And All Public Dues, And When So Received May Be Reissued. V Silver Certificate Five Dollars |
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| Comments |
The 1899 $5 Silver Certificate is one of the more politically charged designs the Bureau of Engraving and Printing ever produced, though that charge was largely unintentional. The central portrait — a composite image loosely based on several Sioux leaders, including Running Antelope — was controversial enough within certain quarters that later series within the F#271–281 run saw minor plate revisions, though the core design remained intact through the full issue period.
Silver Certificates of this era were redeemable in silver dollars on demand, a distinction that mattered considerably to holders during the currency debates of the late 1890s. By 1899, the free silver movement had already peaked and lost, so these notes circulated in a climate where their redemption promise carried more legal than practical weight.
The series spans eleven catalog numbers, reflecting signature combinations across multiple Treasury Secretary and Register pairings.