diff --git a/core/types/transaction.go b/core/types/transaction.go
index d55c5d5ae0..7f1447ef88 100644
--- a/core/types/transaction.go
+++ b/core/types/transaction.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package types
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"math/big"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
@@ -27,12 +28,12 @@ type Transaction struct {
 	R, S         []byte
 }
 
-func NewContractCreationTx(Amount, gasAmount, price *big.Int, data []byte) *Transaction {
-	return NewTransactionMessage(common.Address{}, Amount, gasAmount, price, data)
+func NewContractCreationTx(amount, gasAmount, price *big.Int, data []byte) *Transaction {
+	return NewTransactionMessage(common.Address{}, amount, gasAmount, price, data)
 }
 
-func NewTransactionMessage(to common.Address, Amount, gasAmount, price *big.Int, data []byte) *Transaction {
-	return &Transaction{Recipient: to, Amount: Amount, Price: price, GasLimit: gasAmount, Payload: data}
+func NewTransactionMessage(to common.Address, amount, gasAmount, price *big.Int, data []byte) *Transaction {
+	return &Transaction{Recipient: to, Amount: amount, Price: price, GasLimit: gasAmount, Payload: data}
 }
 
 func NewTransactionFromBytes(data []byte) *Transaction {
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ func NewTransactionFromBytes(data []byte) *Transaction {
 func (tx *Transaction) Hash() (a common.Hash) {
 	h := sha3.NewKeccak256()
 	rlp.Encode(h, []interface{}{tx.AccountNonce, tx.Price, tx.GasLimit, tx.Recipient, tx.Amount, tx.Payload})
-	h.Sum(a[:])
+	h.Sum(a[:0])
 	return a
 }
 
@@ -84,7 +85,6 @@ func (tx *Transaction) Curve() (v byte, r []byte, s []byte) {
 	v = byte(tx.V)
 	r = common.LeftPadBytes(tx.R, 32)
 	s = common.LeftPadBytes(tx.S, 32)
-
 	return
 }
 
@@ -124,6 +124,19 @@ func (tx *Transaction) SetSignatureValues(sig []byte) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (tx Transaction) EncodeRLP(w io.Writer) error {
+	return rlp.Encode(w, []interface{}{
+		tx.AccountNonce,
+		tx.Price, tx.GasLimit,
+		tx.Recipient,
+		tx.Amount,
+		tx.Payload,
+		tx.V,
+		tx.R,
+		tx.S,
+	})
+}
+
 // TODO: remove
 func (tx *Transaction) RlpData() interface{} {
 	data := []interface{}{tx.AccountNonce, tx.Price, tx.GasLimit, tx.Recipient, tx.Amount, tx.Payload}
diff --git a/core/types/transaction_test.go b/core/types/transaction_test.go
index ab1254f4c2..1af59436e0 100644
--- a/core/types/transaction_test.go
+++ b/core/types/transaction_test.go
@@ -1 +1,57 @@
 package types
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"math/big"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp"
+)
+
+// The values in those tests are from the Transaction Tests
+// at github.com/ethereum/tests.
+
+var (
+	emptyTx = NewTransactionMessage(
+		common.HexToAddress("095e7baea6a6c7c4c2dfeb977efac326af552d87"),
+		big.NewInt(0), big.NewInt(0), big.NewInt(0),
+		nil,
+	)
+
+	rightvrsTx = &Transaction{
+		Recipient:    common.HexToAddress("b94f5374fce5edbc8e2a8697c15331677e6ebf0b"),
+		AccountNonce: 3,
+		Price:        big.NewInt(1),
+		GasLimit:     big.NewInt(2000),
+		Amount:       big.NewInt(10),
+		Payload:      common.FromHex("5544"),
+		V:            28,
+		R:            common.FromHex("98ff921201554726367d2be8c804a7ff89ccf285ebc57dff8ae4c44b9c19ac4a"),
+		S:            common.FromHex("8887321be575c8095f789dd4c743dfe42c1820f9231f98a962b210e3ac2452a3"),
+	}
+)
+
+func TestTransactionHash(t *testing.T) {
+	// "EmptyTransaction"
+	if emptyTx.Hash() != common.HexToHash("c775b99e7ad12f50d819fcd602390467e28141316969f4b57f0626f74fe3b386") {
+		t.Errorf("empty transaction hash mismatch, got %x", emptyTx.Hash())
+	}
+
+	// "RightVRSTest"
+	if rightvrsTx.Hash() != common.HexToHash("fe7a79529ed5f7c3375d06b26b186a8644e0e16c373d7a12be41c62d6042b77a") {
+		t.Errorf("RightVRS transaction hash mismatch, got %x", rightvrsTx.Hash())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTransactionEncode(t *testing.T) {
+	// "RightVRSTest"
+	txb, err := rlp.EncodeToBytes(rightvrsTx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("encode error: %v", err)
+	}
+	should := common.FromHex("f86103018207d094b94f5374fce5edbc8e2a8697c15331677e6ebf0b0a8255441ca098ff921201554726367d2be8c804a7ff89ccf285ebc57dff8ae4c44b9c19ac4aa08887321be575c8095f789dd4c743dfe42c1820f9231f98a962b210e3ac2452a3")
+	if !bytes.Equal(txb, should) {
+		t.Errorf("encoded RLP mismatch, got %x", txb)
+	}
+}