Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1863-12-23
THE NATIONAL cURRENcY.
rrepara.len. 6or .hs I..ue.-Ds.erlp-
From the NsWiYork Esentng Host.

IL
From the NewsYork Evening Post. u
The first notes of The new National curF
rency, authorized by Congress in the be.
ginning of the present year, wilI3be issued
In a few days. Some Of them have already
been sent to Washington to receive the
Government impress. The considerable
time which has elapsed since the passage
oflthe act has been employed in completing
the ilesignsand perfeotiug the notes.
No official statements in. relation to this
currency have yet been made by the Treas
ury Department but the five dollar and ten
dollar notes, which are respectively in the
.hantIs of the Continental and American
Bank Note Companies of this city, and some
unfinished dies for the notes of higher de-
nomination, sufficiently indieate the nature
of the designs. Z
THE PLAN or THENoTEs.
s The plan of the notesis novel, and sing.
.ularly beautiful. The prominent heads and
figures which distinguish so many of the
bank bills now in use are entirely omitted
from these notes; the figures denotipg value
are small and the borders are neatly, and
carefully engraved with combinations and
wreaths. The ordinary distinction be-
tween the teface" and q back Sot ban kipotes
has in this case been so nearly destroyed
that the Designations sobyerse,' and 1.sre-
verse; have taken the place of those terms
in the nomenclature adopted blythe depart
ment. The idea underlying the! system mp
ON which will be carried through the series
of So, $l0s $40, 500 100, 5O0and 81 000t
is that of representing in the yignettes on
the face Of the notes the leading events In
the history of our country, with correspond.
ing aIlegorical pieces of pleasing effect:
and generally of patriotic suggestion.
3 Covering nearly half the space on the
back of the notes there are engrayipgs OF
celebrated pictures, illustrative OF Amer1-
can history, from the ''Landing of Column
bns," which decorates the tiye-dolla note,
to the events of the Revolution, while
"The Battle of Lake Erie" is one ,of the
yignettes of the one hundred dollar de-
nomination. It may be Inferred, but It is
by no means certain, that the illustrations
on the i've hundred dollar and the thou:
sand dollar notes, which it is understood
are not yet in the hands of the engrayer,
unless in the department at Washington
are to commemorate the progress ana col
lapse ofithe rebellion. iiis @74 li.sf
Below will be found brief descriptions
of the notes nearly finished, with some
account of the others. There are.two Eig-
nettes, one on the face OF each note.
which is entirely printed in, black, and
besides the principaltpiece on the back,
are the National arms and those of the
State where the bank of issue is situated,
which, with the border, are printed in
green. il
THE FIVE DOLLAR HoTE. 5,.,id ;.i,i
The yisnette at the left hand lower corr
ner represents Columbus discovering the
land. Columbus in the foreground, on the
deck of his vessel, while. near him, leaning
over the side Of the vessel, is q hgure
towards him, as If in consultation.
Another figure is represented graspipg a
crncifix; the face ia turned heay ehYard.
In, the background is a groupioflwhich the
figure is priest. . 49,.
On the other end of the note Is an ALE
gorical piece representing Columbus intro
ducing America to the Old World. The
design of this piece is happily coneety we'd
and rendered. The figure of Americas ib
that of Q young girl: Europe, Asia and
Africa are represented by corresponding
ignres. Europe isin the immediategtsre=
pronud, Asiais next. andthe sable figure
ofLAtrica is standing further back There
Is also distant view of shipping and the
ocean. lGSls4 81 ssGIl +:
The back of the note Is ornaneuted With
d finely executed engraving otthe landing
of Columbus, from the painting by Van-
derlyn in the rotunda of the Capitol at
The appearance of the rep.
on the note is greatly superior
to that of the original, the drawing having
been improved by CASTELAR, and other arr
tistsa The ends, of elaborate scroll aud
lathe work, include at the right, in an oval
an inch by an inch and a hall, the National
eagle and spieldf with "U. 81 in cyPher on
the sky in the back ground. The cores
pondiug oval at the other end of the note
will contain the coat of arms of the State,
as already described. The name of the
ground. Ayzali lslas
The legend on the face efthe note is as
follows: - stt
NATIONAL CURRENCY. ssls
This note issecured by bonds of 8
TIE UNtTEp STATES, ,s5
Deposited I'D
With the United States Treasurer7at
Il. E. CH1TrIRspEs, B. b. sPIsssi.R, s. i
Register of Treas'y. e Treas'r o, IS.
The FIRST NATIONAL BANK Or I.
Here will beiinserted the name of the
place where the bank is Situated. i:lis
WILL PAY. THE REAistk oN,nEMASps, s. \
S. i FIVE DOLLARS. x
(Place of the date.) ~
These words are so much crowded. on
the note, andthes letters arelso black that
the, beauty of. theeng craving is less! display
ed than it otherwise would be. = 2
The places for the signatures. of the
president apdsCashier are next the lower
margin, and near the yiguettes. Rs. s ~
The following is that part of the In,
Iscription on the back which describes the
uses OF the note &: jlss.s9 - q =