2 Dollar, Bank of DeSoto Note, 1857
date: label: date made
content: 1863
label: associated date
content: 1863
name: label: associated institution
content: Bank of De Sota
notes: label: Description
content: The American Bank Note Company printed this two dollar bank note for the Bank of De Soto in Nebraska around 1857. The center of the note features an image of a steamboat on the Missouri River. An inset on the left depicts a train steaming down railroad tracks, while the right inset depicts the allegorical figure of Agriculture sitting on grain and holding a scythe. The note is signed by the bank’s cashier and president.
label: Description
content: From 1790 to 1863, states and private banks issued their own currency to supply capital in a young nation without a national currency. This currency was backed by the hard money the banks had on deposit, and was only used locally where the bank and its operators were trusted in the community. However, banks often oversupplied notes, and this overextension caused bankruptcy among private and state banks when financial panic struck, particularly in 1837. Currencies from these failed banks are known as “obsolete bank notes” or “broken bank notes,” and several are held in the National Numismatics Collection.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Nebraska, De Soto
label: associated place
content: United States: Nebraska, De Soto
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
label: See more items in
content: American Enterprise
label: See more items in
content: Coins, Currency and Medals
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Morton Stack
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: NU.NU60997
label: catalog number
content: NU60997
label: accession number
content: 227803
label: serial number
content: 4556
objectType: label: Object Name
content: note
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 8 cm x 18.2 cm x .01 cm; 3 5/32 in x 7 5/32 in x in