gold certificate


noun

a former U.S. paper currency issued by the federal government for circulation from 1865 to 1933, equal to and redeemable for gold to a stated value.

Origin of gold certificate

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65

British Dictionary definitions for gold certificate

gold certificate

noun (in the US)

a currency note issued exclusively to the Federal Reserve Banks by the US Treasury. It forms a claim on gold reserves deposited by the Federal Reserve Banks at the Treasury and is used to transfer interbank balances within the Federal Reserve System
Also called: gold note (formerly) a banknote issued by the US Treasury to the public and redeemable in gold