Collection PL

United States 1872 – State of South Carolina $50 Revenue Bond Scrip (Act of March 2, 1872, Columbia Issue, PMG 67 EPQ Superb Gem Uncirculated)

The fifty-dollar Revenue Bond Scrip authorized by the Act of March 2, 1872, stands among the most elaborate and symbolically charged notes of Reconstruction-era South Carolina. Produced by the American Bank Note Company of New York, these notes were issued to pay state obligations and to function as tax receipts, serving as both a medium of exchange and an assertion of solvency during a turbulent postwar decade. The design balances artistry and propaganda. ... Read more →

Confederate States of America 1864 – 10 Dollars (T-68 PF-3 CR-541, First Series in Roman Letters, Richmond)

The ten-dollar note of the February 17, 1864 issue, cataloged as T-68 (Criswell 541), was among the final wartime emissions of the Confederate Treasury. Printed in Richmond, Virginia, by Keatinge & Ball of Columbia, South Carolina, it forms part of the most widely recognized Confederate paper-money design family—distinguished by pink underprint, detailed engraving, and complex typography produced under severe wartime constraints. The central vignette depicts Confederate artillery and cavalry maneuvering on the battlefield, adapted from an original steel engraving used before the war. ... Read more →

Confederate States of America 1864 – 100 Dollars (T-65 CR-121, Pink Underprint, Richmond)

The one-hundred-dollar note of the February 17, 1864 Confederate issue, cataloged as T-65 (Criswell 121), was the highest denomination of the Confederacy’s final paper-money series. Printed by Keatinge & Ball in Columbia, South Carolina, this design became one of the most recognizable icons of Confederate finance during the final year of the Civil War. The central vignette features an allegorical female portrait often associated with Lucy Pickens of South Carolina. ... Read more →

United States ca. 1960s–70s – American Bank Note Company Test Note, 10 Units, Green Series of 1929 (With Watermark and Segmented Foil Security Thread, PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated)

This engraved test note by the American Bank Note Company (ABNCo) represents one of the firm’s most enduring demonstration designs, known as the 'Series of 1929' specimen. Although dated 1929, these were printed decades later—primarily in the 1960s and 1970s—as house proofs and sales samples showcasing engraving precision, watermark technology, and later innovations such as foil-thread anti-counterfeiting devices. The layout follows classic ABNCo symmetry: a central allegorical portrait of Liberty, derived from earlier U.S. ... Read more →

United States 1929 Type 1 – 10 Dollars National Bank Note – The First National Bank of Taylorville, Illinois (Fr.1801-1, Charter 3579, PMG 30 Very Fine)

This Series 1929 Type 1 ten-dollar note from The First National Bank of Taylorville, Illinois (Charter 3579) is a national-level rarity and a true anomaly in U.S. banking history. The bank officially ceased operations in October 1929—barely months after the introduction of small-size National Bank Notes—making it one of the first casualties of the transition from large-size to small-size currency. ... Read more →

United States 1902 – 20 Dollars National Bank Note – The First National Bank of Taylorville, Illinois (Charter 3579, Large Size Plain Back, Raw Very Good)

Large-size 1902 Plain Back twenty from The First National Bank of Taylorville, Illinois, Charter 3579, a seldom-seen issuer that entered receivership on October 18, 1929 at the very start of the small-size era. Organized and chartered in October 1886, the bank operated for more than four decades, but its total national-currency output was modest for an Illinois institution and survivorship today is extremely thin. Face design shows Treasury Secretary Hugh McCulloch at left, blue charter numerals 3579, and the classic U.S. ... Read more →

United States 1902 – 5 Dollars National Bank Note – The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas (Fr.609, Charter 13076, Error Note, PCGS 64 Very Choice New)

Organized in May 1927, The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas, was one of the last institutions chartered under the National Banking Act, entering the system just as small-town banks faced increasing consolidation pressures. Chartered as number 13076, it was led by cashier N. Reimers and president W. ... Read more →

United States 1929 Type 2 – Uncut Pair of $5 National Bank Notes with 1944 Bank Letter – The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas (Charter 13076, W.D. Ferguson Provenance)

Uncut consecutive pair of Series of 1929 Type 2 five-dollar National Bank Notes from The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas (Charter 13076), accompanied by the original 1944 letter of transmittal from the bank’s president, W. D. Ferguson. ... Read more →

United States 1929 Type 1 – 5 Dollars National Bank Note – The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas (Charter 13076, Raw Circulated Example)

Circulated five-dollar note from The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas (Charter 13076), Series of 1929 Type 1. This example represents the true working currency of the Great Plains during the Depression years—money that passed through farms, shops, and local hands in northwest Kansas at a time when the nation’s economy was in flux. The note follows the standard small-size Type 1 national design with Abraham Lincoln’s engraved portrait at center, flanked by bold denomination counters and the brown Treasury seal at right. ... Read more →

United States 1996 — 100 Dollars Federal Reserve Note, Chicago District (Friedberg 2175-G) Insufficient Inking Error, PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated

This 1996 100 Dollars Federal Reserve Note from the Chicago District (Friedberg 2175-G, AGB Block) presents one of the most striking examples of an Insufficient Inking Error recorded on a modern U.S. high-denomination note. The entire reverse is drastically under-inked: the normally bold depiction of Independence Hall appears as a pale, incomplete impression, with architectural outlines faintly visible but lacking depth and saturation. ... Read more →

United States 1996 — 50 Dollars Federal Reserve Note, Chicago District (Friedberg 2126-G) Insufficient Inking Error, PMG 65 EPQ Gem Uncirculated

This 1996 50 Dollars Federal Reserve Note from the Chicago District (Friedberg 2126-G, AGB Block) demonstrates a dramatic Insufficient Inking Error affecting the left side of the obverse. The portrait of Ulysses S. Grant remains fully defined, yet the surrounding text, borders, and background show substantial ink loss, fading into near blankness. ... Read more →

United States 1993 — 20 Dollars Federal Reserve Note, New York District (Friedberg 2079-B) Insufficient Inking Error, PMG 67 EPQ Superb Gem Uncirculated

This 1993 20 Dollars Federal Reserve Note from the New York District (Friedberg 2079-B, BD Block) is a superbly preserved example of an Insufficient Inking Error that drastically weakens the reverse printing. The normally dark green depiction of the White House appears faint and washed out, with many architectural and background details missing. Only fragments of the design—such as the central columns, the inscription 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA', and the denomination numerals—remain clearly visible. ... Read more →