U.S. Currency Weekly Auction Seizes Bidders’ Attention

by Tracy Schmidt

Heritage Auctions attracted multiple bidders on several interesting lots offered in their Oct.1 Weekly Online Auction. The lots that piqued my interest were in the categories of Large Size, Small Size, and National Bank Notes. It is not uncommon for an older note to be valuable in a lesser grade because of scarcity.

Silver Certificates are without a doubt among the most popular of U.S. Bank Notes to collect. The two that caught my interest are Lot #84526 and Lot #84530. Lot #84526 is a Large Size Silver Certificate $5, dated 1896. The note has a small red seal and the vignette includes Electricity presenting light to the world. The condition of the Fr #268 note is PMG Choice Fine and realized a hammer price of $925.

The second Silver Certificate I tracked was Lot #84530. Silver Certificate, Fr #319, is a $20 1891 PMG Fine 12. The bank note has a small red seal and features Daniel Manning at center flanked by Agriculture and Industry. “Series 1891” appears at upper right and lower left. The lot had 4 bidders and hammered at $480.

National Bank Notes are widely collected for many reasons. Having many interesting variations and types, they are historically interesting because they were issued by “home town” banks. Lot #84578 is a $10 Wells-Fargo Nevada NB, CH #5105, Fr. #490 note. This 1882 Brown Back in VF30 has a scalloped red seal. The vignettes are Franklin and Electricity at left and America Seizing Lightning at right. The hammer price realized was $900.

Last but not least, Lot #84432 was a $100 1928A Small Size Federal Reserve Note, Minneapolis, bearing a light green seal. This FR.# 2151-I example is PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ and has the signatures of Woods and Mellon. Having five active bidders, it hammered at $3,400.

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