The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-12-26
Very Curious $50 Bill.

A curiosity in tae shape of National
Bank note currency has come into the
possession of Mr.. 5. II. Wickham, Of
Lexington avenue. The note is of the
$40 denomination having its back
printed upside down. 1t is of the series
of 49,, and is comparatively new, hav-
ing been but little in circulation.
There is no doubt about its genuine
ness, as it has passed through the hands
of several of The most prominent bank
note experts in the city without ques-
tion. Mr.. Wickham. accompanied by a
SIM reporter. successfully passed it upon
the paving teller of the Seventh National
Bank, corner of Broadway and John
street.
"Will you please tell we whether that
bill is good2" inquired Mr.. Wickham OF
the teller, spreading the bank note before
him on the counter. The teller djusted
his glasses and carefully scratinized the
bill on both sides.
"There is no doubt about it." he
replied. Apparently he did not dis
cover the mistake of the Treasury Bureau.
for he handed the note back without
comment.
He was requested to examine the bill
! more CAREFUL y and compare it with S2J
bill of the same issue. lie did so and at
once discovered the error. Aston!sh-
ment was depicted upon his face, and he
was obliged to confess that he had never
before seen National Bank note like it.
Mr.. Wickham then submitted the bill
to q similar test ut the Chemical and
City Banks, the Third National and the
German American National Bank. In
each case The paying tellcrs pronounced
the bill genuine, and were not little
slow in discovering that the back was
printed upside down. Aone of these
cashiers had ever seen note of the kind
before, and were greatly puzzled TO
know how the bill had got into circu!a-
ton.
Mr.. Wickham received the bill from
the cashier of the Hong Kong and
Shanghai Banking Corporation, where
he is employed as clerk. The firm In
turn received the bill from The City
Bank in the usual order of their bank
ing system. 1t was by the merest ac-
cdent that the error of the Treasury
officials was discovered.
The cashier of the Hong Kong and
Shanghai Banking Corporation is very
methodlcal in his business transactions
and in handling currency notes he is
exceedingly careful to have the face of
the bills turned toward him. After
counting pile of bills one way he
usually turns them over and counts them
the other way. In this manner he dis
covered that one bill was upside down.
and upon closer inspection he found
that it was printed that way.
Mr.. Wickham's attention WAS called
to the matter, and quick to seize good
thing he proposed to the cashier that lie
| be allowed to take the bill, substituting
from his own pocket another Of the same
| denomination. The cashie: made no
objection, and Mr.. Wickham does not
regret the transaction. Since then
several parties have been negotiating to
buy the bill, offering fancy prices. several
times in excess of its intrinsic value.
Mr.. Wickham has refused all OF these
offers. lie thinks if bill stamped SO
; on one side and $40 on The other is
worth $10U0. his currency note with the
oack printed upside down is worth
Ieveral hundred dollars. -lNe'o York Sun.