The Beauty of Reverses on Early U.S. National Bank Notes
Early national bank notes featured wonderful images of notable events in United States history. Since you have probably seen the faces of these notes, I will not show those images. Instead, I will describe the backs.
$1 note depicting Pilgrims arriving at Plymouth Rock.
Bill Brandimore
This $1 note on the Second National Bank of Detroit carries an image of Pilgrims attempting to land their small boat on Plymouth Rock. This note is one of about six known issues, and it is from the only bank that issued these First Charters in Detroit. So, if you want a Detroit $1 note, you only have one choice.
$2 note featuring Sir Walter Raleigh and men.
Bill Brandimore
This $2 note on the La Crosse National Bank of Wisconsin has the nickname “Lazy Two” due to a large number two lying on its side on the face. However, the reverse is more entertaining. It features Sir Walter Raleigh meeting with several gentlemen. He is smoking a pipe and exhaling smoke, which so startles the servant carrying refreshments that he drops the tray. This note is very popular, and the two on the reverse only enhance its popularity.
This Wisconsin $2 is the most common example. The local explanation is that many of these notes were discovered in the trunk of an old car by a mechanic. Some of the notes have light smears in the upper right corner, supposedly from the grease on the mechanic’s thumb as he counted the notes. It is one of my favorite notes, and I paid $650 when I purchased it at a Memphis show over 30 years ago.
$10 note featuring De Soto discovering the Mississippi.
Bill Brandimore
This $10 note features a wonderful engraving of De Soto discovering the Mississippi. The face shows Ben Franklin and his young son studying electricity with a kite and key. It also features a bare-breasted Liberty soaring on the back of an eagle.
$20 note showing the baptism of Pocahontas.
Bill Brandimore
This $20 goes over the top. It shows Pocahontas' baptism in a crowded church, where she is kneeling at the altar. The church is populated by colonists, and a small number of Native Americans are taking in the event from the sidelines. The face of this 1875 note on Mechanic & Manufacturers National Bank, Detroit, Michigan, charter 2365 features rifle action in a battle on the left and Liberty leading a parade on the right. The $20s of this series are scarce, and those from the original are particularly so.
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