1899 $5 Silver Certificate “Chief” note
Steve_in_Tampa
Posts: 1,959 ✭✭✭✭✭
If was told tomorrow that I had to liquidate my collection and I could only keep five of my notes, this note would be one of them. The series 1899 $5 Silver Certificate, or Indian Chief note is sandwiched between the series 1896 $5 Educational note and the series 1923 $5 Lincoln Porthole note. Just over 566M of these notes were printed between late 1898 and 1922. The face was engraved by BEP lead engraver GFC Smillie, who also engraved much of the back. This note ranks #10 in the book “100 Greatest American Currency Notes” (Bowers/Sundman)
The center vignette features a portrait of Sioux Indian Chief Running Antelope, who unfortunately passed away in 1896 before getting to see his image portrayed on US paper money. Controversy ensued soon after these were issued because Running Antelope is pictured wearing a Pawnee headdress. The Sioux headdress was reported to be too tall to fit on the note. There were 11 different signature combinations used over the two decades these were printed, with Lyons/Roberts (1898-1905) leading the pack with the most printed. The 1899 $5 Chief note was among the first to utilize a Star designation as a replacement note in 1910.
Currency collecting was in its infancy during the mid 20th century and you could purchase a circulated example of this note for $6.00 and an uncirculated example for only $8.00, as illustrated by this Theodore Kem price sheet dated 1953, (second from the bottom).
Comments
nice note... not much of a profit margin in 1953. How could one buy these and make a buck?
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Hard to say except for back in 1953, a dollar had the spending power of $10 today, and paper money collectors were referred to as Rag Pickers.
Love the Chief! Love the price list as well....now where's that time machine....I've got some stuff to buy!
Excellent post and awesome note.
Thank you.
"If I say something in the woods and my wife isn't there to hear it.....am I still wrong?"
My Washington Quarter Registry set...in progress
nice note, chief, i like it
I've been looking at a graded 45 EPQ at a local coin shop for a year now. Just can't pull the trigger on the $1500 asking price. Even though he'll let me make payments....thoughts?
Ounce by ounce the stack grows .
I personally believe that XF (*PQ) is the sweet spot for pricing per eye appeal. You can find some very attractive yet affordable notes in the extremely fine grade range and $1,500 sounds fair. Mine is an XF EPQ.
Agreed. XF(Q) for eye appeal and price. A few more.
...and another...agree with you Steve, one of the best notes printed...looking for a Bison but they have gone crazy $$ in last 18 months
$1500 for a 45Q seems like a solid deal to me.Looking at type (FR#281) for the Chief's, here's the T&P data...you tell me.
Yea looks real good. Just been juggling between this or a gold purchase for my next buy.
But I know I'll be kicking myself if I walk in and it's gone so I think y'all have made up my mind! Appreciate the nudge
Ounce by ounce the stack grows .
It's a very attractive note (no doubt about it). Really like the old 1953 Theodore-Kem price sheet BV's "Steve." I like the "Track & Price" spreadsheet. Is that software available online for purchase or it is a subscription @numbersman ?
**https://sites.google.com/view/notaphilycculture/collecting-banknotes **
Track And Price is available for sale to anyone.For someone like myself, it's a necessity.
http://trackandprice.com/