Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-19
THE DISTRICT SEAL
That Upon Local National Bank Notes Not
Authoritative.
A New Plate Made and the Proper Seal
to Be Placed on the Notes
in Future.

Mr.. Eckels, controller of the currency,
has directed that change be made In the
design of the national bank notes issued
to the national banks in the District of Co
lunlbia. The change is the result of cor
respondence between Mr.. Robert S. Hatcher
of Illinois and the controller on the general
subject of the state and territorial coats
of-arms used upon the currency issued to
national banks. Mr.. Hatcher has made a
careful and thorough study of these seals,
or coats-of-arms, with a view to writing a
history on the subject, and he informed
the controller that the national currency
notes issued to banks in the District of
Columbia have never borne the design of
the correct Official seal of the District Of
Columbia upon them.
The District Seal.
THE seal in question as engraved upon
the national currency" he said. "repre-
sents a female seated, holding in her right
hand staff. surmounted by liberty cap;
in her left a document, resting upon a
profile medallion of Washington. To the
left, the Washington monument (as origin
ally intended. To the right, a building.
The correct official seal OF the District of
Columbia represents a statue of Washing
ton, standing a high pedestal, his right
hand on sword, his left upon bundle of
fasces.
10 the right of the pedestal, female
figure, standing. holding in left arm a book,
inscribed Constitution In her right
hand wreath. At the base, the American
sheaves of wheat. In background, to left,
train of cars crossing a bridge; water be-
meath; farther on, sunset. To the right,
the United States Capitol. Beneath the
whole, the year ISL in a wreath, and
the words Justitia Omnibus on a scroll.
This seal was adopted by a law enacted
by the legislative assembly of the District
of Columbia and approved August 3, 1871
l sent to Mr. William Tndall, the secre-
tary of the District of Columbia. ten
dollar note issued by the Traders National
Bank of Washington, ID. c., asking ii the
seal adopted in 1871 might have super
seeded the used upon the currency
notes.
The Only One Adopted.
I'm this letter of reply he says upon this
subject:
Il have yours of the Goth instant, inclos-
ing a ten-dollar currency note and making
inquiries about the seal on the back of it.
The District of Columbia never had any
such seal. The only seal adopted by the
government of the District of Columbia by
any authority is the seal whose impress 1
inclose. AS this is the only seal the Dis
trict ever had, it goes without saying that
it never superseded another.
II not only do not know of any legisia-
ton authorizing the seal which appears
on the note you inclose. but believe that it
Is mere fancy sketch, originating in the
bureau of engraving and printing"
4 New One to BE Made.
Acting upon these representations the
controller of the currency directed the
chief of the bureau of engraving and print
ing to engrave a coat-of-arms from the Of
fetal design now used. and when it is COM
pleted, to hereafter print all currency of
banks in the District of Columbia from the
new design.
The original designs for the seals which
have been changed as the result of your
Chr. Hatcher's) INVESTIGATIONS Controller
Gckels says. were engraved by the Amer
lean Bank Note Company in New York
city, early in the history of the national
banks, and al this time it is impossible to
trace the Subject to determine from what
source they obtained their data from
which the work was done"
Plate Now Made.
The plate for the new seal has been en-
graved at the bureau of engraving and
printing and will be used on all notes of
District national banks as soon as the
stock of completed notes of the present de
sign has been exhausted in the ordinary
course of business, which will hardly oc-
cur for several weeks yet. Then the old
plates will be destroyed and the new plates
only will be used for printing District ma
tional currency.