In the 1800s, Martha Washington, the USA's first first lady, was featured on the $1 Silver Certificate, which was backed by precious metal. Martha Washington is the first and only woman to grace the primary portrait of U.S. paper currency. The certificates were first printed  in 1886, six years after the first legal tender dollar bill featuring George Washington was issued. The $1 Certificates were discontinued in 1957. It was the nation's second longest issued paper money and as the name suggests was backed by the U.S. Government's Silver deposits and could be redeemed at any time for Silver from the U.S. treasury. Only Bill to ever feature a Woman...Martha Washington.