Description and research notes
Low-charter national. The First National Bank of Youngstown operated under Charter 3, a single-digit charter number issued in the opening days of the National Banking era. Early charters are coveted because they document the very first adopters of the 1863 National Banking system and their numbers stayed with the bank through every redesign and consolidation.
This is a Series of 1929 Type 1 twenty-dollar note (Fr. 1802-1). Type 1 small-size nationals show the bank title across center, vertical charter numerals at left and right, and the brown Treasury seal at right. Federal signatures are Jones and Woods; engraved local officers appear along the lower border, preserving the national–local pairing that defined the system.
Certified by Legacy Currency Grading as Fine 15, the note is evenly circulated with strong ink and full design detail for the grade. For collectors chasing the earliest charters, examples tied to single-digit numbers are not easy to find in any condition. This piece pairs well with Charter 1 Philadelphia in a low-charter run and represents Youngstown’s entry into the national system during the Depression’s final small-size issue.