Banknote vignette proofs

Very pretty! I'm fond of the lower piece and really like the little touch of porpoise or whale tails poking out of the water. Any idea of which city view that may be? Which harbor this depicts? The rotund building at left may be a battery? Or good clue where this is.

 

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I was thinking maybe Boston, but it could also be an invented scene. Thanks for pointing out the round building to the left -- that might be a clue. I'm guessing this is from the 1850s.

 

Big Discovery Day! Waaaay back on page one of this thread, I posted four vignette proofs from the Excelsior Bank Note Company. This company, founded in 1876, is nearly unknown and probably only lasted a few years. In the 25+ years since I obtained these proofs, I have never any of them used on a product by Excelsior -- until today.

I purchased a pretty shaggy sample bond which features the vignette of a Gleaner, and that's how I recognized its significance. Sure enough, the bond has an imprint of Excelsior Bank Note, front and back. I'm not sure whether this a salesman sample mock-up or if the bond was ever issued, but I'm just happy as heck to have this in my collection!

 

Nice find Greg!

 

I posted something about this already on the bank check thread, but I wanted to tie-in the vignette here. The very first proof I posted on this thread was an image of female figure with a shield and an eagle. Five years later (wow, has it been that long?) I finally found an example of its usage. It appeared on a promissory note from 1853, issued in Akron, Ohio. Still haven't nailed down the bank note engraver, though.

 

Exceptional work, as always!

 

Thanks Chris -- you actually got a look at that note in Denver.

 

I do recall it, indeed!

 

Found an interesting portrait of General Sherman last week by Continental Bank Note. That would put it pre-1879. I have yet to find this on any security.

 

I'm not sure whether anyone on the forum is still interested in this type of material, but this has always been a favorite thread of mine. Way back on post #45 (page 3) I posted a scan of a tiny log cabin vignette. I still haven't found this on a banknote or stock, but yesterday I stumbled on a different kind of usage. It appears in the upper right of a USPS Commemorative Panel for the 1976 States of the Union stamps. According to the text on the panel: "The cabin engraving was completed in October 1863 by Henry Beckwith for American Bank Note Company."

So at least we know a little more about it now.

 

Here's one I picked up recently because I hadn't seen any vignettes by the St. Louis Bank Note Co. (actually a subsidiary of Western Bank Note). This shows the interior of the First National Bank of Beatrice, Nebraska. This may be of interest to national bank note collectors; I understand there are known nationals out there, from this bank.

 

I'm nearly certain I found a match to the Sherman portrait proof posted earlier. This is an 1872 taxpaid revenue stamp for 50 cigars (the stamp wrapped around a cigar box to seal it). It was also printed by Continental Bank Note.

 

There have been a lot of interesting vignette proofs turning up on Ebay lately! Here are some that I recently picked up.

 

Here's a very dramatic vignette of "Quadriga" -- an ancient chariot pulled by four horses. Shades of Ben Hur!