View source for Federal Reserve Bank Note

{{short description|United States banknotes issued between 1915 and 1934}}
{{distinguish|Federal Reserve Note}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
'''Federal Reserve Bank Notes''' are [[legal tender]] [[banknote]]s in the United States that were issued between 1915 and 1934, together with [[United States Note]]s, [[Silver certificate (United States)|Silver Certificates]], [[Gold certificate (United States)|Gold Certificate]]s, [[National Bank Note]]s and [[Federal Reserve Note]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/currency/pages/legal-tender.aspx|title=Legal Tender Status|access-date=3 September 2015}}</ref> They were specified in the [[Federal Reserve Act]] of 1913 and had the same value as other kinds of notes of the same denomination. Federal Reserve Bank Notes are different from Federal Reserve Notes in that they are backed by one of the twelve [[Federal Reserve]] Banks, rather than by all collectively. Federal Reserve Bank Notes were envisioned as a replacement for National Bank Notes, but that did not prove to be the case.<ref>Carlson R. Chambliss and Gene Hessler (2014), The Comprehensive Catalog of U.S. Federal Large-Size Notes, 1861-1929, Page 230</ref> They were backed in a similar way to National Bank Notes, using U.S. bonds, but issued by Federal Reserve banks instead of by chartered National banks. Federal Reserve Bank Notes are no longer issued; the only U.S. banknotes still in production since 1971 are the Federal Reserve Notes.

Large size Federal Reserve Bank Notes were first issued in 1915 in denominations of {{US$|long=no|5}}, {{US$|long=no|10}}, and {{US$|long=no|20}}, using a design that shared elements with both the National Bank Notes and the Federal Reserve Notes of the time. Additional denominations of {{US$|long=no|1}}, {{US$|long=no|2}}, and {{US$|long=no|50}} were issued in 1918 as an emergency replacement for Silver Certificates, which were temporarily removed from circulation under the [[Pittman Act]].<ref>Chambliss and Hessler (2014), Page 240</ref>

Small size Federal Reserve Bank Notes were printed as an emergency issue in 1933 using the same paper stock as 1929 National Bank Notes. They were printed in denominations of {{US$|long=no|5}} through {{US$|long=no|100}}. The wording, "Or by like deposit of other securities" was added after the phrase, "Secured by United States bonds deposited with the Treasurer of the United States of America".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uspapermoney.info/history/1933.html|title=USPaperMoney.Info: History of Currency Designs|access-date=3 September 2015}}</ref> This emergency issue of notes was prompted by the public hoarding of cash due to many bank failures happening at the time. This also limited the ability of the [[National bank (United States)|National Banks]] to issue notes of their own. Small size Federal Reserve Bank Notes were discontinued in 1934 and have not been available from banks since 1945. As small size notes, they have brown seals and serial numbers, as do National Bank Notes of the era. But while they look very similar, and both have the words, "National Currency" across the top of the obverse, they had different issuers and are considered to be distinctly different types of bills.

==Complete denomination type set of Federal Reserve Bank Notes==

===Large-size notes===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%"
!colspan="12"| Large-size Federal Reserve Bank Notes: Series 1915/1918
|-
!colspan="1"| Image !!rowspan="2"| Value !!rowspan="2"| Dimensions !!rowspan="2"| Main Color !!colspan="2"| Description
|-
! Obverse/Reverse !! Obverse !! Reverse 
|-
|align="center"| [[File:US-$1-FRBN-1918-Fr.713.jpg|150px]]
| [[United States one-dollar bill|$1]] 
| Large-size note<br/>7.375 x 3.125 inches {{nowrap|(187 x 79&nbsp;mm)}}
| Green; Black
| [[George Washington]]
| Eagle with flag.
|-
|align="center"| [[File:US-$2-FRBN-1918-Fr.749.jpg|150px]]
| [[United States two-dollar bill|$2]] 
| Large-size note<br/>7.375 x 3.125 inches {{nowrap|(187 x 79&nbsp;mm)}}
| Green; Black
| [[Thomas Jefferson]]
| Battleship (New York Class, BB-34 and BB-35).
|-
|align="center"| [[File:US-$5-FRBN-1918-Fr.790.jpg|150px]]
| [[United States five-dollar bill|$5]] 
| Large-size note<br/>7.375 x 3.125 inches {{nowrap|(187 x 79&nbsp;mm)}}
| Green; Black
| [[Abraham Lincoln]]
| Columbus in sight of land; landing of the pilgrims
|-
|align="center"| [[File:US-$10-FRBN-1915-Fr.817.jpg|150px]]
| [[United States ten-dollar bill|$10]] 
| Large-size note<br/>7.375 x 3.125 inches {{nowrap|(187 x 79&nbsp;mm)}}
| Green; Black
| [[Andrew Jackson]]
| Industry vignettes (farm and factory)
|-
|align="center"| [[File:US-$20-FRBN-1915-Fr.828.jpg|150px]]
| [[United States twenty-dollar bill|$20]] 
| Large-size note<br/>7.375 x 3.125 inches {{nowrap|(187 x 79&nbsp;mm)}}
| Green; Black
| [[Grover Cleveland]]
| Transportation vignettes (land, sea, and air)
|-
|align="center"| [[File:US-$50-FRBN-1918-Fr.831.jpg|150px]]
| [[United States fifty-dollar bill|$50]] 
| Large-size note<br/>7.375 x 3.125 inches {{nowrap|(187 x 79&nbsp;mm)}}
| Green; Black
| [[Ulysses S. Grant]]
| Panama between two ships
|-
|align="center"| [[File:US-$100-FRBN-1915-PROOF (no Fr.).jpg|150px]]
| [[United States one hundred-dollar bill|$100]] 
| Large-size proof<br/>7.375 x 3.125 inches {{nowrap|(187 x 79&nbsp;mm)}}
| Green; Black
| [[Benjamin Franklin]]
| None, this denomination was never issued ('''proof''' only)
|-
|}

===Small-size notes===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%"
!colspan="12"| Small-size Federal Reserve Bank Notes: Series 1929
|-
!colspan="1"| Image !!rowspan="2"| Value !!rowspan="2"| Dimensions !!rowspan="2"| Main Color !!colspan="2"| Description
|-
! Obverse/Reverse !! Obverse !! Reverse 
|-
|align="center"| [[File:US-$5-FRBN-1929-Fr.1850-B.jpg|150px]]
| [[United States five-dollar bill|$5]]
| Small-size note<br/>6.125 x 2.625 inches {{nowrap|(156 x 67&nbsp;mm)}}
| Green; Black
| [[Abraham Lincoln]]
| [[Lincoln Memorial]]
|-
|align="center"| [[File:US-$10-FRBN-1929-Fr.1860-B.jpg|150px]]
| [[United States ten-dollar bill|$10]]
|  Small-size note<br/>6.125 x 2.625 inches {{nowrap|(156 x 67&nbsp;mm)}}
| Green; Black
| [[Alexander Hamilton]]
| [[Treasury Building (Washington, D.C.)|US Treasury Building]]
|-
|align="center"| [[File:US-$20-FRBN-1929-Fr.1870-D.jpg|150px]]
| [[United States twenty-dollar bill|$20]]
|  Small-size note<br/>6.125 x 2.625 inches {{nowrap|(156 x 67&nbsp;mm)}}
| Green; Black
| [[Andrew Jackson]]
| [[White House|The White House]]
|-
|align="center"| [[File:US-$50-FRBN-1929-Fr.1880-B.jpg|150px]]
| [[United States fifty-dollar bill|$50]]
|  Small-size note<br/>6.125 x 2.625 inches {{nowrap|(156 x 67&nbsp;mm)}}
| Green; Black
| [[Ulysses S. Grant]]
| [[United States Capitol|US Capitol Building]]
|-
|align="center"| [[File:US-$100-FRBN-1929-Fr.1890-D.jpg|150px]]
| [[United States one hundred-dollar bill|$100]]
|  Small-size note<br/>6.125 x 2.625 inches {{nowrap|(156 x 67&nbsp;mm)}}
| Green; Black
| [[Benjamin Franklin]]
| [[Independence Hall]]
|}

==References==
{{Portal|Money|Numismatics|United States}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Obsolete U.S. currency and coinage}}
{{Federal Reserve System}}

[[Category:Banknotes of the United States]]
[[Category:Federal Reserve System|Bank Note]]
[[Category:Currency lists]]
[[Category:Historical currencies of the United States]]
[[Category:Paper money of the United States]]