The New England Commercial Bank, Five Dollars

Includes an archival grade document sleeve.

• Origin: Newport, Rhode Island, USA
• Authority: The New England Commercial Bank (this note has been dated but was not signed, meaning that it was only partially issued and likely never circulated as currency)
• Date: April 9th, 1846
• Denomination: 5 Dollars
• Size: Approximately 6 x 3 inches
• Face Side: Mercury holding anchor in front of large ship, center.
• Back Side: Blank.
• Notes: This is an example of obsolete paper money—a type of currency issued by thousands of American banks, companies, states, and other entites before the federal government began printing money during the Civil War. These notes were issued solely under the authority of the banks that printed them and lacked backing from precious metals or government guarantees. Commonly, such notes include phrases like "State of" or the name of a specific bank. If a bank that issued these notes failed, its notes quickly became worthless. Much of the imagery on these notes was essentially the 19th century version of clip art or stock photos—often, they were simply premade engravings that the printing company had on hand.

All purchases include a Certificate of Authenticity. You will receive the exact item in the photos.