The triumph of Disney can be traced back to a single man – Walter Elias Disney. From his early days growing up in Missouri, he always had an palpable spark that separated him from the rest. Disney wanted to entertain others through a relatively new form of cinema called animation. He originally got started in the Kansas City area. Disney and a friend talked a local theater owner into letting them make cartoons to play at the beginning of his movies. It became a success and Disney and his partner, Ub Iwerks, started their own studio in Hollywood. After a few years of short projects, Disney and Iwerks came across a hit with their character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. He was a huge commercial success and grew the Disney Company’s resources. However, Disney didn’t own the rights to Oswald and Universal Studios took over. They hired away most of his staff and claimed the character as their own.

Soon after this, Disney and Iwerks created the most recognizable animated character of all-time. Mickey Mouse helped launch the Disney empire. It wasn’t long before there were several spin-offs of all of the Disney characters. Pluto, Goofy, and Donald Duck all had their own cartoons. Donald Duck, known for his explosive temper and duck voice was their second most popular character. He helped Disney grow through World War II and secured Disney’s popularity.

After Disney’s unparalleled success with short cartoons and films, he decided to open a theme park. He got the idea after receiving a flood of letters requesting tours of the studio. Instead of letting them tour the studio he came up with the idea of Disneyland. He purchased 160 acres of orange groves in Anaheim, California and built his dream. The first day of Disneyland was a grand event in American history. So many people wanted to get in, that they flooded the park. Even though only 11,000 tickets were printed for members of the media, over 28,000 people got into the park using forged tickets. That day will always live in infamy in Disney lore as “Black Sunday.” After Disneyland was completed, Walt came up with the idea for an even grander park, which became Disney World. Disney World is still the number one vacation destination in the United States with Disneyland coming in second.

While the magic of Disney has flourished for almost a century, his greatest works are available for you to see on DVD. In fact, you can see the entirety of the Disney movie collection through the Disney DVD Gift Express. Enjoy the legacy of imagination from the comfort of your own living room.

Many silver certificates are worth merely a small premium over their actual nominal value. For instance, the most common 1935 and 1957 certificates would sell for $1.25 to $1.50 in ordinary circulated condition. A bill of this type in uncirculated condition would bring in a little more, maybe $2.00 to $4.00.
Many collectors purchase silver certificates because of their rich history, uniqueness, and love of paper money. However, for the serious currency investor, their are a few notes worth obtaining for their monetary value and opportunity for appreciation. I’ve compiled a list of some of the more valuable notes available on the market today:
1. FR-251 – 1899 $2.00 Agricultural & Mechanics large-sized note, with a serial number of one. This certificate in GEM uncirculated 65 condition is practically priceless. For the untutored collector, a bill in GEM uncirculated 65 condition is absolutely perfect. It would have no tears, stains, rips, or folds. It would have razor sharp corners, absolutely perfect margins and no pinholes whatsoever. In other words, it would be a bill that is in absolute perfect condition!
What makes this note so special?
- LOW serial number of D1
- Extremely high certified grade
- One time MATCHING signature combination of VERNON-TREAT
2. FR-268 -1896 $5.00 Educational certificate. It has a GEM uncirculated 68 condition – which indicates maximum perfection.
What makes this note so special?
- The final Educational Note series
- The only known CGA GEM-68 that exists
- One time MATCHING signature combination of TILLMAN-MORGAN.
3. Two – 1896 $1.00 large-size Educational Silver Certificates
These are absolutely beautiful notes:
- Only 6 serial numbers
- Two Consecutives (very rare!)
- High Grade
- Only Lowest high-grade, consecutive serial number in existence
This pair was selling for over $84,000!
4. FR-330 – 1891 $50.00 Silver Certificate There are only 6 of these notes in existence and only a couple ever seen in public. I discovered one selling on eBay, in PMG Fine 12 condition, for $23,000.
5. FR-23 – 1886 $5.00 certificate. In PCGS 65 condition, this one was fetching in the neighborhood of $27,000.6. FR-343 – 1891 $100.00 Silver Certificate. Only 15 of these notes are known to exist. I found on selling on eBay, in in PMG Fine 12 condition, for $16,500.
As you can see, there are many unique, rare and very valuable silver certificates worth collecting and investing in. Before purchasing any paper money online, always do your homework, ask questions, investigate the reputation of the seller carefully, and make sure a 100% full, money-back guarantee is offered on the sale!