The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-07-08
The national Banks.

The proper authorities have decided upon
the form of the notes to be issued by the Ma
tional Banks, and set tho eDgravers to work
As the notes of all these Banks, wherever ex-
tablished, will be alike, description of the
plans selected will be read with interest
The designs for the vignettes will repre-
sent important epochs in the history of our
country chronologcallg arranged, the earliest
events being illustrated on the lowest denom-
inations, and all later events on the larger
amount The back of each note will contain
in large central vignette, copy of one of
the national pictures in the rotunda of the
Capital, which will be surrounded by legends
showing the uses of the note and the penalties
for counterfeiting. The face of the note will
contain two original vignettes one at each
end the one at the left hand end representing
some important event contemporaneous with
that illustrated by the national painting upon
the a TX, and the one at the right hand and a
design symbolical of the event represented
by the other vignettes. The painting desig-
mated for the back of the smallest denomina-
ton Give dollars,) is Vanderlyn's great work
of the Landing of Columbus The left
hand yignette on the face will illustrate the
discovery of America by Columbus and the
symbolical design for the right hand end will
be Columbus introducing the New World to
the Old, America being typifed by female
figure, led by the hand of Columbus into the
presence of Europe and Asia, who are reclin-
ing in the foreground while Africa stands in
the background absorbed by the ceremony.
The back of the ten dollar notes will con
tain copy of Powers painting in the eapita
of "De Soto Discovering the Mississippi :
and the left hand vignette on the face will il
lustrate great event of the same era, viz
Franklin's discovering the identity of light
ming and electricity, while the symbolic de-
sign at the right hand end is a spirited figure
representing America, with an eag.e's flight
grasping the lightning. Between the two
vignettes on the face of all the notes there
will be two legends. the upper one showing
the national character of the note. and tn,
lower one containing the name and obligation
of the association Issuing it. The upper lie
gend on all the notes will be as follows
"National currency. This note is securet
by the bonds of the United States, deposite'
with the Treasurer at Washington"
Which will be signed by the Treasurer O
the United States and the Register of tn
| Treasury. The lower legend of the first not
| issued will be:
"The first National Bank of the City G
Washington Will pay the bearer five dollars o
demand, at their Office in the City of Wash
ington, D. c."
This will be signed by the President an
| Cashier of the association.
The notes, though all bearing the genera
character of an illuminated history of tn
country's progress, will yet present sic
marked dissimilarities as to prevent the sue
cessful alteration from one denomination t
another. The engraving of the five and te
dollar notes has been intrusted to the Cont
mental Bank Note Company of New Yorl
who will devote all their resources, in connec
ton with the best engraving talent of th
country, to its speedy and successful excel
| ton.