Collection PL

United States 1929 - The Warren National Bank of Peabody, Massachusetts 10 Dollars Type 2 National Bank Note, Charter 616 (Fr. 1801-2)

The issuing institution is clearly identified across the face as The Warren National Bank of Peabody, Massachusetts. Charter 616 ties the note to a specific federally chartered bank rather than to a generic national issue. This local-bank connection is the defining feature of National Currency: each note combines federal currency design with the name, charter number, and signatures of an individual issuing bank. Read more →

United States 1995 – 10 Dollars Federal Reserve Note – Minneapolis District Printed Tear Error (Fr.2032-I)

The error noted by PMG as 'Printed Tear Error' occurred when the sheet suffered a slight tear or snag during the intaglio impression stage. Instead of discarding the damaged substrate, the BEP press cycle continued, causing a distortion or ink void along the affected margin before the paper was repaired or trimmed. Such anomalies provide a glimpse into the precision-and occasional fallibility-of modern currency production, where speed and volume can produce rare, visually distinctive results. Read more →

United States ca. 1970s – Giori Test Note – Jefferson Center, Black Front / Greenback Inverted Experimental Serial With Watermark

Test notes like this were never issued and were meant to be destroyed after technical analysis. A few survive from retained BEP archives or printer training files. This black-front, green-back variety with inverted red serial and visible watermark is among the most distinctive combinations from the Giori series. Read more →

United States 1996 - 100 Dollars Federal Reserve Note Chicago District Insufficient Inking Error (Friedberg 2175-G)

Such a failure results when the intaglio plate-responsible for forcing thick, oily ink into the engraved lines-receives an uneven or insufficient coating before the sheet is pressed. In this instance, the defect likely stemmed from an improperly inked press cylinder or premature wiping of excess ink by the BEP’s wiping cloth, producing a ghost-like image instead of the deep relief expected from true intaglio pressure. Read more →

United States 1996 - 50 Dollars Federal Reserve Note Chicago District Insufficient Inking Error (Friedberg 2126-G)

This note’s importance lies not only in its rarity but also in its diagnostic clarity: the stark contrast between the well-inked right margin and the pale left edge offers a textbook illustration of the physical process behind intaglio press misfeeds. Specialists value such notes as tangible case studies in BEP mechanics-visible reminders that even in a controlled industrial environment, subtle shifts in pressure, humidity, or ink flow could create wholly unique outcomes. Read more →

United States 1950A - 10 Dollars Federal Reserve Note Chicago District Butterfly Fold Error (Friedberg 2011-G)

Butterfly fold errors occur during the high-speed sheet-fed printing stage, typically in the first or second pass of the intaglio press. Because the paper web is both damp and under tension, even a small curl or mechanical misfeed can cause a single corner to tuck over before impression. Such errors were usually caught and destroyed during BEP inspection, making fully released examples-especially those on higher denominations-extraordinarily rare. Read more →

United States 1988A - 10 Dollars Federal Reserve Note Philadelphia District Insufficient Inking on Face Error (Friedberg 2028-C)

Insufficient Inking Errors occur when the BEP intaglio press fails to deliver a consistent charge of ink to the printing plate. On multi-color notes like this one, such failures most commonly affect the black face impression, where detailed engraved lines require precise ink density to reproduce depth and tone. When the ink film thins prematurely, sections of the plate transfer only partial images, leaving light gray ghosting instead of crisp intaglio relief. Read more →

United States 1985 - 5 Dollars Federal Reserve Note Cleveland District Insufficient Inking on Back Error (Friedberg 1978-D)

Such large-area insufficient inking errors are among the most revealing BEP production anomalies, offering collectors and researchers a direct look at the mechanical limits of high-speed intaglio printing. Few survive in gem-level condition, making this Cleveland District note a cornerstone piece for any serious study of modern United States printing errors. Read more →

United States 1988A - 1 Dollar Federal Reserve Note Chicago District Insufficient Inking Error (Friedberg 1915-G)

While minor under-inking is occasionally seen on low-denomination issues, examples this pronounced are rare in the modern era-especially when preserved in high grade. The note’s pale upper register provides an instructive look into the Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s mechanical process during the late 1980s. At the time, the BEP was operating high-speed presses that printed both faces in successive passes; a deviation in ink viscosity, plate temperature, or wiping pressure could yield the kind of ghosted areas evident here. Read more →

United States 1993 - 20 Dollars Federal Reserve Note Chicago District Printed Tear Error (Friedberg 2080-G)

Printed tear errors like this one reveal the physical realities of the BEP’s high-speed production process. During the early 1990s, sheets were stacked and advanced through mechanical feeders at roughly 10,000 impressions per hour. A misfeed, suction failure, or improperly aligned sheet edge could cause a corner to fold under or tear. Because each sheet underwent multiple print passes-back, face, and overprint-a single fold could be inked multiple times on different planes of paper, creating the layered and shadowed voids now visible. Read more →

United States 1902 - 5 Dollars Blue Seal Plain Back National Bank Note - The First National Bank of Youngstown, Ohio Charter 3 (Friedberg 600)

Why “Plain Back”: in 1908 the BEP dropped the back date panel used on earlier Blue Seals, creating the Plain Back subtype while retaining the ornate front. This issue represents the final large‑size style before small‑size Nationals debuted in 1929. Read more →

United States 1935D - 1 Dollar Silver Certificate Butterfly Fold Error (Friedberg 1613W, IF Block)

Butterfly fold errors arise during the high-speed sheet-fed intaglio printing stage. The damp paper, traveling at great speed through the press, can curl or misfeed slightly, allowing one corner to tuck under itself before impression. When the pressure rollers apply ink to the folded sheet, the trapped portion receives a partial print. Once flattened, the misaligned section stands out vividly against the otherwise precise engraving. These notes were typically caught and destroyed during BEP inspection, making any fully released example a significant rarity. Read more →