Currency certificate. Sometimes called legal tender certificate ; a certificate (or receipt) for
United States notes (greenbacks) deposited in the Treasury or in any Sub-Treasury of the United
States; of the denomination of $10,000 (at one time also $5,000) ; authorized by the act of June 8,
1872; authorization repealed and issuance discontinued by the act of March 14, 1900.  The
certificate bore no interest and was not a legal tender. The notes represented by the certificates
were merely a special deposit and the certificate, which was transferable, was redeemable at the
place where issued.  Currency certificates were chiefly used in the settlement of clearing house
balances and for holding in the reserves of banks.