Gold certificate

A Gold certificate was a type of paper document used by the U.S. government in the early 20th century to represent ownership of a specific amount of gold stored in the Treasury. It allowed holders to claim their gold holdings or exchange the certificate for actual gold coins or bars. Essentially, it was a promise from the government that the paper was backed by real gold. Gold certificates provided a convenient way to transfer and store gold, reducing the need to carry heavy bullion, but they ceased to be issued after the end of the gold standard in the 1930s.