Two Dollar Battleship note Help

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FunwithMPL
FunwithMPL Posts: 333 ✭✭✭
in U.S. & World Currency Forum
I'm Working on an exhibit showing my battleship note.

What does May 18, 1914 stand for on the note?

Also why is just a small letter like a C in the lower left side of the note and the same letter C but with a number on the upper right side of the note.

Thanks for the help.

Carl
Collector

Comments

  • STLNATS
    STLNATS Posts: 1,604 ✭✭✭
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    As I recall, the date reflects the incorporation date of each FR Bank. Similar to the date that appears on nationals.



    The large letters with the number reflects the specific FR bank or district, A 1 for Boston to L 12 for San Francisco (H 8 is STL). The small letter indicates the plate position that printed the specific note. "C" would be the 3rd position from the top of the 4 position printing plate, just like most NBNs.



    edited to add: here's some info about the start of the Minneapolis FR Bank with dates about enabling legislation, organization, when it opened, etc. I think similar info is probably available for the other 11 banks if you google something like Federal Reserve and history, etc. I vaguely recall that not all FRBNs had the same date but don't have my library handy to verify.



    https://www.minneapol............is



    Here's the Chicago info too:



    https://www.chicagofe............7-1914



    And a great little book produced on the 75th anniversary of the STL fed.



    https://www.stlouisfed.o.........Conclusion.pdf



    edited to add part 2. FWIW and being personally a bit too compulsive, I scanned eBay offerings of large FRBNs and found that San Francisco carries a May 20, 1914 date. All the others I looked at had the May 18th date.



    Always interested in St Louis MO & IL metro area and Evansville IN national bank notes and Vatican/papal states coins and medals!
  • Andres
    Andres Posts: 977 ✭✭✭
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    Good info from STLNATS .

    Might add that the battleship on the $2 FRBN on the reverse is the USS Texas BB35 (2 anchors each side) , and not the USS New York BB34 (1 anchor each side) as generally assumed.
    The Texas is presently in a harbour near Houston, the New York is at the bottum of the sea near Hawaii.

    image

    collector of Greek banknotes - most beautifull world banknotes - Greek & Roman ancient coins.
  • Timbuk3
    Timbuk3 Posts: 11,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    Thanks for the information !!! ??
    Timbuk3
  • element159
    element159 Posts: 594 ✭✭✭
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    Andres, thanks for the research on the Texas vs New York! It makes me need to finally get one of these even more.



    Something about ships just looks good on notes, I think.

  • Andres
    Andres Posts: 977 ✭✭✭
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    I picked up a Fr# 776 Dallas Texas note , a Fr# 777 might do as well.
    A Texas named battleship on a Texas district note makes sense imho.
    a (lone) star replacement Texas note would be even cooler, although very expensive

    image
    collector of Greek banknotes - most beautifull world banknotes - Greek & Roman ancient coins.
  • golden
    golden Posts: 10,535 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    I have been collecting paper money since 1969. I was always told that the Battleship was the New York. You learn something every day.image
  • element159
    element159 Posts: 594 ✭✭✭
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    Originally posted by: golden

    I have been collecting paper money since 1969. I was always told that the Battleship was the New York. You learn something every day.image


    It is the New York *class* of ship. There were two ships in that class, BB New York, and BB Texas. But Andre has identified which one of the class is actually on the note.





  • Andres
    Andres Posts: 977 ✭✭✭
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    Someone suggested that these battleships had 1 anchor on the portside and 2 anchors on the starboard side , but the battleship is also on the back of the $50 FRN banknote, now pictured
    from the other side and shows again 2 anchors.
    its difficult to find pictures from both ships on both sides in their Original 1914 configurarion, both were drasticly changed overtime, the Texas has lost the second anchors a long time ago.

    image
    image
    collector of Greek banknotes - most beautifull world banknotes - Greek & Roman ancient coins.
  • Andres
    Andres Posts: 977 ✭✭✭
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    After a search by FunwithMPL (Carl) and myself , the conclusion is that both the New York and the Texas had 2 anchors on the portside and 1 anchor on starboard side in their Original 1914 configuration.
    the engraving on the $2 banknote is a mirrored pic , never thought about that.
    End conclusion , the battleships on the banknotes are from an USS BB class battleship in general.

    Clear pictures of both sides of both ships (polish website)

    http://smartagepl.tumblr.com/post/146888431459/tuz-przed-wybuchem-i-wojny-swiatowej-najwieksze
    collector of Greek banknotes - most beautifull world banknotes - Greek & Roman ancient coins.
  • synchr
    synchr Posts: 1,448 ✭✭✭✭
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    Fr. 891b 1914 $5 San Francisco FRN has two

    image
  • synchr
    synchr Posts: 1,448 ✭✭✭✭
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    B for New York

    Fr. 751 1918 $2 NY BATTLESHIP B8678196A FRBN PCGS 60

  • Andres
    Andres Posts: 977 ✭✭✭
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    All 12 districts from Boston to San Francisco show the same Battleship with 2 anchors .
    the confusion starts because its a mirror image of the portside of both ships.

    collector of Greek banknotes - most beautifull world banknotes - Greek & Roman ancient coins.
  • johnny9434
    johnny9434 Posts: 34,066 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    i always liked them battleship notes. there neat looking

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