A Series 1882 $100 gold certificate – unique in private hands - sold for nearly $500,000 in the Stack’s Bowers paper money Rarities Night auction Aug. 7.

The auction was part of the official auctions conducted at the American Numismatic Association World Fair of Money in Rosemont, Ill., Aug. 5 to 9.

The price includes the buyer’s premium.

The note, graded PCGS Currency Fine 15, is one of three known and the only collectible example, according to the auction firm. The two other pieces are in the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York collections.

The signatures of Register of the Treasury Blanche K. Bruce and Treasurer of the United States Albert U. Wyman are combined with a small scalloped brown Treasury seal on the face of the note. The back features a large Roman number C signifying the denomination and a large eagle vignette. According to the catalog description, “this note is one of the few cases where rarity outweighs condition, a trait basically every unique items carries with it.” The quality of the note “retains completely problem free paper for the Fine 15 grade.”

The note is printed in gold, brown and black inks.