Issued from 1862 to 1971, a United States Note is also known as a Legal Tender Note. Legal Tenders have been issued longer than any other paper currency in the United States. You never see Legal Tenders in circulation thought they are still considered official currency. And they are easy to spot. The U.S. Treasury Seal and the serial numbers are printed in red (modern Federal Reserve Notes are green). Authorized by the Legal Tender Act of 1862, these notes were issued in denominations of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, and $1,000.
The older notes have colorful nicknames like “Rainbow,” “Bison,” “Woodchopper,” and “Sawhorse Back.” Small-sized currency was mainly printed in denominations of $2 and $5 during 1928, 1953, and 1963. There were a modest number of $1 notes printed in 1928 and $100 notes in 1966. Also, printed but never issued was the $10 note in 1928.
