Is this a cigar box National?

gsalex

The hits just keep on coming from the Smithsonian's digital collection of BEP's national bank note certified proofs. I'm going to continue to share some of the gems here, as I'm able.

Today I'm posting what I think I understand is a "cigar box" layout of a Series 1882 $5 national from the National Bank of California at Los Angeles. I'm familiar with the circus poster layouts from around the same time period, but had only heard of this style recently. Can any member provide more information? Are there other versions of this layout?

STLNATS

I've heard the term, but am not sure how commonly it is used. Certainly the notes don't have the pizzazz of circus posters. However, the late Doug Walcutt wrote a large number of remarkable articles appearing in Rag Picker attempting to categorize various designs of title blocks, among other things national. Articles appearing in volume 34, numbers 3 & 4 broke down brown backs $5s into 21 major groups (several of which are further subdivided into subgroups. Your LA note seems most similar to group 10 with the same curved "National Bank" and similar curved "Five Dollars" in the title block (and there are several other less obvious indicators as well). He indicated that the group was produced between mid 1888 and early 1890 and illustrated two examples (for charters 4008 and 1394). I also have a very similar BB on 4048 but photobucket is currently down. I will post an image as soon as I can get back in.



The Walcutt articles are very interesting reads, have wonderful illustrations of great notes, and he was clearly VERY into nationals. Some of the differences between the groups are quite subtle - some might even say being close to arbitrary. And trying to mentally juggle 21 sets of anything can be quite a challenge even for an avid fan of such things. But, Walcutt's work was so interesting/compelling that I even joined PMCM specifically to get the journal and I know I wasn't the only one. Being so self limited geographically I find the categories of limited practical use to me, but do appreciate his contribution and was happy to get reacquainted with his efforts.



PB is back up so here's my Continental. This is the only variety of this type in the STL area that I'm aware.







Edited to add: the BB $5 collection of my friend Bob Cochran sold at heritage last year. A couple of hundred nice notes so it might be well worth your time to scan their archives to find other notes of this type.

blueseal

I own an example of this note but i had not seen a proof of the Charter 4096 before. (Thanks for posting)

As previously mentioned Doug Walcutt classified all the various bank title layouts on the $5 brown backs into groups.

The Walcutt version I have has two groups for the Cigar box label layout.

The two groups of Cigar box label notes are group 8 label 1 and group 9 label 2.
Your proof is group 8 cigar box label 1 according to Walcutt classification. Label 1 notes are distinguished from
Label 2 by the Will Pay above a down-bowed Five Dollars and a split to bearer/ on demand.

The group 9 cigar box label 2 has the Will Pay/ To Bearer On Demand on two horizontal lines above the Five Dollars and was used exclusively on titles that end with the words National Bank. An example of a group 9 label 2 note is Charter 4013 The Lenox National Bank (Massachusetts)

Doug Walcutt and Peter Huntoon wrote the forward to the Power collection of $5 brown backs that was auctioned in 2006. A really good reference for brown back title layouts.

STLNATS

Doug Walcutt and Peter Huntoon wrote the forward to the Power collection of $5 brown backs that was auctioned in 2006. A really good reference for brown back title layouts.



+1 thanks for the excellent cite to the LFK auction which puts these into context in a very accessible way.



A minor point tho, Walcutt died at the FUN show in January 2001, and the excellent article in the Power Sale was a simplification by Huntoon which focused solely on the title blocks but based on Walcutt's earlier work (hence his most appropriate cite as co-author). Interestingly, the term "Cigar Box" doesn't appear in the 1999 articles, but does appear in the 2006.



At any rate, some of the 21 groups and sub-varieties had related to details such as the location of the plate letters. Huntoon's focus on the title blocks reduced the groups from 21 to 17 along with a renumbering of the Groups. Group 8 is essentially the earlier Group 10, and 9 is the earlier 11. Dating is more definitively indicated by the statement in the 2006 article that almost all plates between mid 1888 and early 1890 used one of these formats.



IMHO, Group 8 (or 10) visually seems more "circus postery" with the more curved "Five Dollars" balancing the "National Bank"at the top. As mentioned, for Group 9 (11) the bank title ends in "National Bank" (ie no city name follows). While clearly related to the earlier group, the flat "Five Dollars" of notes assigned to Group 9 gives more the appearance of a tombstone or arched doorway than a poster, but nicknames assigned by collectors are not a big deal either way.



Here are some additional charters assigned to these groups in the Power sale; I just quickly scanned the sale so am sure there are several others:



Group 8 (old 10) 4219 (OH), 4208 (TX), 2858(IL), 3949 (CO), 4007 (CO), 4038(IL), 3944 (KY), 4090 (KY)

Group 9 (old 11) 4024 (NE), 4250 (AL), 657(CT), 2171 (KY)

Borchgrave

Yes, that is a cigar box label layout. Mark Hotz came up with a lot of the names for these Brown Back layouts in early articles in Bank Note Reporter. Huntoon picked up on and expanded these. The layout of the words NATIONAL BANK is the determinant for this cigar box layout. This layout was so named because there was a brand of cigars marketed in the late 1800's called "Bank Note" and used this type of design.

gsalex

Here is a proof example of the second version (Group 9) of "cigar box" layout from the Anniston National Bank (charter 4250). And an actual cigar box that formerly held Bank Note cigars ("A Certified Smoke"). I do see a certain resemblance.

gsalex

And to confuse things further, while looking through the Alabama boxes I came upon this outstanding layout on the First National Bank of Sheffield (3617). Not a circus poster, not a cigar box, but absolutely stunning. Does this design have a nickname?

STLNATS

while looking through the Alabama boxes I came upon this outstanding layout on the First National Bank of Sheffield (3617).



Group 5 in the write up in the Power Sale (where this specimen was illustrated) and referred to as Princess Leia. Used on charters 3596, 3601, 3606, 3617 and dated between December 1886 and January 1887..

gsalex

Only four banks in a two-month period -- during the holidays. This sounds almost like a Christmas present from a letter engraver!