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 note belongs to the small-size National Currency series introduced in 1929, when United States paper money was reduced to the modern smaller format. National Bank Notes of this period retained the local bank identity that had defined the National Banking era since the Civil War, but presented it within a standardized federal currency design printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Read more →

United States 1929 Type 1 - 10 Dollars National Bank Note - The First National Bank of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Charter 1 (Fr. 1801-1)

This note is a Series of 1929 Type 1 ten-dollar issue. Type 1 small-size nationals display the bank title across the center, vertical charter numerals at the far left and right, and the red-brown Treasury seal at right. The federal signature pair is Jones and Woods, while the engraved local officers appear along the bottom margin, preserving the national-local partnership that defined the system since 1863. Friedberg lists this format as 1801-1 for $10 Type 1 notes. Read more →

United States 1929 Type 2 - 10 Dollars National Bank Note - The First National Bank of Easthampton, Massachusetts Charter 428 (Fr. 1801-2)

The note shown here is a Series of 1929 Type 2 ten-dollar issue bearing the red-brown Treasury seal and charter number 428 at both sides of Alexander Hamilton’s portrait. Type 2 nationals were the final small-size format before the National system’s consolidation in 1935. Each note carries both federal and local officer facsimile signatures, linking Washington oversight with hometown banking identity. Serial A002473, plate position A, records a late-issue print run of only a few thousand sheets. Read more →

United States 1929 Type 1 - 10 Dollars National Bank Note - The Farmers National Bank of Sussex, New Jersey Charter 1221 (Fr. 1801-1)

This note is a Series of 1929 Type 1 ten-dollar issue, carrying the vertical charter numbers 1221 at both margins and the red-brown Treasury seal at right. Type 1s were the first of the small-size nationals introduced that year, still bearing the ornate "National Currency" title and traditional layout derived from earlier large-size designs. It features the Jones–Woods federal signature pair and printed local officer names, continuing the national-local dual structure established by the 1863 Act. Read more →

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

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. Although government records indicate that no 1929 notes were released for this charter, this example, serial E000176A, proves that a small batch of $10 notes briefly entered circulation before the bank’s collapse. Read more →

United States 1902 – 20 Dollars Large Size Plain Back National Bank Note – The First National Bank of Taylorville, Illinois Charter 3579 (Fr.650-652)

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. Read more →

United States 1902 – 5 Dollars Large Size Plain Back National Bank Note – The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas Charter 13076 Error Note (Fr.609)

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. D. Ferguson, whose engraved signatures appear boldly in dark ink on this note. Despite its late founding date, the bank issued both large-size 1902 Plain Backs and small-size 1929 series notes before the National system’s absorption into the FDIC framework in the mid-1930s. Read more →

United States 1929 - Uncut Pair of $5 Type 2 National Bank Notes with 1944 Bank Letter – The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas Charter 13076 W.D. Ferguson Provenance (Friedberg 1800-1)

Historically, the Thomas County National Bank (organized 1927, chartered May 12 1927) operated during the final years of the National Banking system. Its 1929 notes circulated locally until the mid-1940s, making Ferguson’s 1944 letter plausible and period-accurate. The combination of an uncut pair and original correspondence represents a complete archival survival-a window into both Depression-era banking and the personal relationships that defined small-town finance. Read more →

United States 1929 - 5 Dollars Type 1 National Bank Note - The Thomas County National Bank of Colby, Kansas Charter 13076 (Friedberg 1800-1)

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. The blue charter number '13076' appears vertically at both margins, while serial F004065A and red-brown overprint connect it to Colby’s 1929 issue block. The printed facsimile signatures of cashier N. Reimers and president W. D. Ferguson confirm its authenticity and continuity with the bank’s leadership also seen on its earlier 1902 issues and later 1944 correspondence. Read more →

United States 1995 - 5 Dollars Federal Reserve Note San Francisco District Insufficient Ink on Face Error (Friedberg 1985-L)

This note stands as a textbook case for understanding intaglio ink distribution and its failure points. It bridges art and engineering - showing how even the smallest ink shortfall in a high-volume printing run can transform a standard Federal Reserve Note into a tangible piece of printing history. Read more →

United States 1929 - 20 Dollars Type 1 National Bank Note - The First National Bank of Youngstown, Ohio Charter 3 (Fr. 1802-1)

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. 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 →