Getting a quality education is important in order to succeed in today?s highly competitive working environment.

However, getting another type of education is important to currency collectors?I am talking about the ?Educational Notes? series of Silver Certificates produced in 1896. They are arguably the most beautiful notes ever produced for circulation by the United States government.

Educational Silver Certificates have inspired many collectors to further pursue the hobby, including myself, and this stunning example by all means fits that bill. Graded 65EPQ with great margins on the obverse and reverse, this note has nice color with vivid details. Notice the intricate artistic detail in the engraving "History Instructing Youth." This large-size Silver Certificate is a popular note, always voted one of the "Top 10" banknotes ever printed.

When Thomas F. Morris became the chief of the Bureau of Printing & Engraving in 1893, a decision was made to produce a new series - $1, $2, $5 - of Silver Certificate Notes. He hired three famous muralists of the time - Blashfield, Low, and Shirlaw - to create scenic motifs on the different notes. They did mockups for all the denominations up to the $1,000 note, but only the three lowest denominations were ever produced, creating the beautiful "Educational Notes" series.

The $1 was engraved by Will H. Low and shows the allegorical illustration of ?History Instructing Youth,? looking down on Washington D.C. The border of the note lists the names of many prominent Americans - from Lincoln to Emerson - politicians, inventors, military, and artists. The U.S. Constitution is open on the right.