Been a good year for StL NBNs for me
STLNATS
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It's been a while since I've posted anything so here's a "set" I was able to assemble earlier this year. This bank has been a favorite of mine for years, so it's still an exciting group for me. The $100 is the key from an auction earlier this year and is one of only 2 1882 DB $100s reported the entire state of MO and a fairly scarce type nationally. Better yet, being a fairly common bank, it was possible to assemble the same bank officer sigs for all 5 notes; those of Stadler and Pryor. Officer sigs are a passion of mine and the sigs on the $50 are the only autographs on any note I've seen for the bank - whether series 1882 or 1902 series. Even the #1 $5 BB has printed sigs. At any rate, it's been a great year for my collection. What fun!
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BTW, here's a better view of the $100 along with what may be my favorite note from the bank, a series of 1902 Plain Back with engraved sigs - again those of Stadler and Pryor. Altho there were several very large banks in St Louis, 5172 was the only bank that used engraved sigs. This came at the end of the large size era and altho $10 and $20 notes with engraved sigs were printed, none were ever sent to the bank and were destroyed in DC. While seemingly a humble little note, the $5 was the note that gave me the impetus to seriously seek out the crazy minor and major StL NBN varieties. And it earned a place in a Paper Money article back in "the day."
Congratulations, that's a great set. The $50 and $100 Treasury serial numbers are only a few hundred apart. I presume that they were numbered at the same time in the same batch of sheets.
Did any of these come from holdings of long time collectors who have recently sold their collections? That's when many great pieces surface.
Thank you!
Did any of these come from holdings of long-time collectors who have recently sold their collections? That's when many great pieces surface.
The $50 was raw and came from a 2006 Scotsman's auction. The $100 is in a PMG holder and came from Great Collections this past April. Provenance was not provided for either in the sales. But the $100 is attributed to Newman in the NBN Census. There has been a lot of very good St Louis area material hit the market over the past couple of years - and I've been able to get a few notes I never thought I would own.
The $50 and $100 Treasury serial numbers are only a few hundred apart. I presume that they were numbered at the same time in the same batch of sheets.
If you check the serials in the Census, it appears that all of the surviving 02DB $50s and the $100 were printed in a single batch. The bank did not use high denoms in any other series and only 713 sheets were issued to the bank. Significantly, the approval date on the Smithsonian proof sheet is Aug 17, 1914, shortly after the start of WWI. It seems likely that the notes were used as part of the emergency currency received by the bank that fall. At least that's my bet but the answer would be in the bond and currency ledgers at National Archives in DC which are pretty far away from me at the moment. Still, what fun!
Another "type" set I was able to assemble this year consisting of only St Louis City banks. I don't think its possible to do this for a single one of the City's banks so this will have to do. I've been extremely fortunate in 2026, and as the title suggests, this has been a very good collecting year. What fun.
Super, super nice sets and so tough! Congratulations.
Congratulations! Those are some beautiful sets!
And why am I drooling?