Description and research notes
This 1935D 1 Dollar Silver Certificate (Friedberg 1613W, IF Block) presents an exceptional Butterfly Fold Error, a visually dramatic mechanical mishap that occurred during the printing process at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. A portion of the note’s corner was inadvertently folded over before printing, causing part of the design to print on the folded flap while leaving a blank triangular void once the paper was unfolded. The result is a note that physically displays the three-dimensional evidence of its own creation error.
Butterfly fold errors arise during the high-speed sheet-fed intaglio printing stage. The damp paper, traveling at great speed through the press, can curl or misfeed slightly, allowing one corner to tuck under itself before impression. When the pressure rollers apply ink to the folded sheet, the trapped portion receives a partial print. Once flattened, the misaligned section stands out vividly against the otherwise precise engraving. These notes were typically caught and destroyed during BEP inspection, making any fully released example a significant rarity.
This specimen is certified PMG 58 EPQ Choice About Uncirculated, combining near-Uncirculated condition with completely original paper quality. The EPQ designation confirms natural paper wave and embossing, untouched by pressing or cleaning—an important consideration for collectors of mechanical errors, since the physical fold itself is the defining feature. Despite the minor handling typical for the grade, the note retains full originality and strong color contrast, with deep blue Treasury seal and serials against crisp off-white paper.
The 1935D Silver Certificate series, signed by Clark and Snyder, represents the final era of small-size silver-backed notes issued by the U.S. Treasury. The 'Wide' layout (Friedberg 1613W) references a plate format with slightly larger margin spacing, predating the narrower 1613N variant. These late silver certificates were printed in huge quantities, but genuine mechanical errors from this period—especially butterfly folds—remain extremely scarce, as most were destroyed long before reaching circulation.
From a technical and educational standpoint, butterfly errors are invaluable for demonstrating how mechanical stress, humidity, and press speed interact during the intaglio process. This particular example is especially striking for its perfectly preserved fold tab extending beyond the note’s frame, showing exactly how the paper folded during production. For collectors, such notes are more than curiosities—they are tangible evidence of how human and mechanical precision occasionally diverge, producing a one-of-a-kind anomaly that transforms a common note into a specimen of industrial history.