Skilled Coin Grading Service (PCGS) just lately graded a powerful and out of date 1862 Financial institution of Germantown $1 be aware from Philadelphia. Boasting phenomenal floor high quality, that is the primary such be aware to be submitted to PCGS Banknote.
“It’s at all times thrilling when one thing like this uncommon Financial institution of Germantown be aware enters the PCGS grading room,” stated PCGS President Stephanie Sabin. “Past the rarity and grade of this piece, one turns their consideration to its dramatic art work. 4 males in a small boat are seen encountering a polar bear because it rises out of the water.”
Logan Mifflin, the numismatic historian and collector who submitted the 1862 Financial institution of Germantown $1 to PCGS, supplied additional observations concerning the be aware and its distinctive design.
“The context of out of date banknote engravings is usually tough to determine, however right here, the inventive inspiration for the Financial institution of Germantown’s $1 subject was the heroism of Arctic explorers – previous, current, and future,” he stated.
Added Mifflin:
“This be aware’s principal drawing card is its dynamic central vignette, Polar Bear Assault/The White Bear, engraved by DeWitt Clinton Hay and tailored from the artwork of internationally recognized artist Felix O.C. Darley. 4 fur-clad males in a small boat try to fend off an aggressive polar bear rising out of the water, his massive paw already on the gunwale, their ship looms on the horizon. The Polar Bear Assault vignette, although not particularly historic, is related to the interval of subject. It was engraved on the time of Henry Grinnell’s expeditions seeking ill-fated explorer John Franklin and his ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, which have been misplaced within the mid-1840s within the Canadian Arctic wilderness. It was not till the previous decade that the wrecks have been found and subsequently mixed as a nationwide historic web site.”
Mifflin additional described the complicated design, together with the Native American princess on the left of the obverse and the adjoining vignette of a younger lady’s head:
“The complicated vermillion shade tint plate makes use of ‘PHILADELPHIA’ for the top title portion; broadly spaced and tall ‘1’ protectors are at both facet; and an intricate, micro-lettered guilloché is throughout the underside.”
Mifflin concluded this be aware is a “ masterpiece of American Banknote Co.’s best engravings.”
For extra details about submitting banknotes to PCGS, please go to https://www.pcgs.com/banknote.
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