In the March 2025 issue of Bank Note Reporter, I examined images of dogs on U.S. currency, showcasing a vast array of notes featuring a diverse portrayal of dogs.
While dogs are often considered man’s best friend now, horses were much more essential in the 19th century. They were humankind’s main engines for transportation, commerce, agriculture, and the military until widespread carbon-based power took over. During the Civil War, 3 million horses and mules were used, and nearly half of them died in battle.
Most of our food was plowed, harvested, transported, and delivered by horses. The country was crisscrossed with horse trails, and horses often pulled barges that carried essential goods down America’s waterways. Stables were abundant in any city or town, and businesses usually offered places to tie up a horse. As a result of this reliance, horses were often celebrated in music, literature, paintings, and a few U.S.-issued notes.
Since there are so many wonderful depictions of horses on currency, a two-part series is required to showcase the provocative and interesting equine images in both realistic and allegorical settings on bank notes. They are all masterfully executed with true artistic vision and are worthy of hanging in any museum.
In Part 2, I will discuss horse depictions on obsolete notes and large-sized Confederate and Colonial currency.
Thanks to Heritage Auctions for the images contained in this article.
$2 July 1, 1855, proof from the Planters and Mechanics Bank of Dalton, Georgia. A herd of unsaddled horses is frantically galloping at full speed in this exhilarating scene. In the bottom right, a young lass smiles warmly as birds rest on her arm. In the upper left, a dapper young man with his arm resting on a counter confidently looks forward. In the background, a factory is billowing smoke, a sign that production is underway.
$5 undated proof of Northern Bank of Pennsylvania from Dundaff, Pennsylvania. The bank operated for only two years (1825–1827). In the upper right, the allegorical image of the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, is riding in a horse-drawn chariot. On the left are dual portraits of William Penn.
$5 May 16, 1861, note from the State Bank of Pittsylvania, Virginia. The illustration features a farmer stopping for water with two horses attached to his plow, and a child is at his feet. The other vignettes feature an allegorical image of the goddess of agriculture, Ceres, on the left and a young girl in the bottom right.
$3 January 2, 1855, Bank of Beloit proof from Beloit, Wisconsin. At the far left are three allegorical figures dressed in period attire, representing Hope, Industry, and Agriculture. St. George is poised to slay a menacing dragon at the upper center on a rearing horse.
Circa 1879 Hawaiian Islands $100 undated silver certificate of deposit proof. At the center is a globe showing the Americas; on the left is a ship heading west and a train heading east. In the lower left is an unsaddled running horse, and on the right is a cow. In the left and right margins is the Hawaiian term “Akahi Haneri,” which translates to “First Hundred.” This rare note sold for $37,600 at a 2015 Heritage auction.
$1 1850 Buffalo County Bank proof from Northhousen, Wisconsin. At the bottom left is a hunting scene showing two Native Americans on horses slaying a bison. At the upper right, two beavers busily gnaw on branches.
$500 undated Bank of Brighton proof from Brighton, Massachusetts. The center vignette depicts two stallions with a Native American inset in a shield and an eagle grasping the top. To the left is an allegorical representation of Liberty, who stands draped in the Stars and Stripes, holding a liberty pole and a federal shield with the number “500” on its body. The street scene in the right corner features the Cattle Fair Hotel, which was constructed in 1832 and underwent extensive remodeling in 1852.
$1 July 4, 1851, Farmers Bank of Freehold proof from Freehold, New Jersey. The central vignette features a pair of farrier blacksmiths forging horseshoes and attaching them to a horse’s hoof. The bottom right shows an image of Daniel Webster.
$1 undated remainder note from the Norfolk Bank in Connecticut. In a delightful and disarming scene, horses, sheep, and cows playfully frolic in an open paddock.
Bank of Selma, Alabama $10, December 1, 1862, note. Dockworkers are loading a four-horse-drawn cart. The steamship Alabama is docked, and a train, billowing with smoke, is set to transport its cargo. Although this note was issued during the Civil War, an American flag can be seen in the far-left corner. Henry Clay is portrayed in the bottom left.
Bank of Selma, Alabama $10 December 1, 1862, note. Dockworkers are loading a four-horse-drawn cart. The steamship Alabama is docked, and a train, billowing with smoke, is set to transport its cargo. Although this note was issued during the Civil War, an American flag can be seen in the far-left corner. Henry Clay is portrayed in the bottom left.
June 1, 1855, $2 Bordentown Banking Co., New Jersey, note. A pair of cowboys tend to a bucking horse; a train is approaching from their left.
$2 October 10, 1858, proof from the Farmers Bank of Garden City, Minnesota. Two equine scenes are on each side; at the left are two workmen, one atop his horse, and the other seated on a fence with sheep and a dog at rest. On the right, two boys attempt to control a frightened horse that has thrown or knocked down a farm hand. A pair of startled horses looks on in the background. A pair of winged cherubs is in the upper corners.
$2 undated remainder from Omaha City Bank & Land Co. in Nebraska. A pair of horses is drinking at a trough with chickens at their hooves. In a deep conversation, two men are standing by in front of the mill. Two fair maidens are in the bottom corners.
July 1, 1873, South Carolina Railroad Company of Charleston ticket. Not a note but a railroad fare ticket for two passengers. Three workmen load bundles of hay onto a cart while the horse patiently waits to haul the cargo.
$2 undated proof from the State Bank of Ohio in Xenia. In the lower right, a pair of boat horses is in front of the canal. The rider is carrying a bugle, likely for communication with the boat captain. Daniel Webster is in the upper left corner.
$3 undated remainder from the Norfolk Bank of Connecticut. The bank was in operation from 1857 to 1870. The vignette features two unsaddled horses startled by an approaching train. At the bottom left, a leathersmith is plying his trade.
$3 November 1, 1860, remainder from the Producers Bank of McLeansboro, Illinois. A serene note featuring a farmer preparing his horse with a yoke for plowing. Behind them is a mill and a winding river. The bottom right depicts a contented Saint Bernard dog.
$3 undated proof from the Marine Bank of St. Paul, Minnesota. At the lower right, a man feeds a horse while another fellow, in riding attire and seated on a barrel, reaches into a basket as a curious young girl and her dog watch. A pair of pigs is to the left; a rooster is perched on the fence, and a pair of skins is mounted on the wall. To the left is a long train in motion.
