1875 series national bank note with no signatures. Also what grade do you think?

I bought this 1875 series national bank note today -- The Little Falls National Bank NY (Ch# 2406) $5.




This note doesn't have the 2 pen signatures at the bottom is this normal? Could this be washed away?

Also, the "1875" is missing next to the red "Series" right next to the Ch# 2406 on the left.

Can this note be graded as VF 20? Attaching additional images of the note with a light source at the left.

 

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Not sure about your note but Boy, if paper could talk!

 

I was going to reply that the note looks washed & then I read your question:

Yes- the signatures can be washed off & that is what appears to be the case for your National $5.00 example. From its extensive circulation two signatures, serial #, it appears not to be a "remainder."

The sailer's vignette (left) shows many creases & design wear. Examine the area where the man standing (pointing) -between his outstretched arm & the onlooker (foreground) there appears to be missing elements completely (eraser?) which suggest "processing." The general toning plus all these flattened creases suggests the note was washed & pressed. If it were graded, I would expect no more than a F-15 but this would be "apparent."

 

There’s no such thing as a Remainder on National banknotes. The term is used exclusively for Obsolete banknotes.

 

And the left "2406" is weirdly distorted and in two different shades of red. Looks like the note was washed harshly enough to destroy parts of the overprint, which was then redrawn.

There may be a bit of redrawing of the Treasury seal too, around the 10:00 position.

The cleaning seems to have been more damaging in the center-left area of the note than elsewhere. Perhaps the note had a stain in that location that someone really wanted to remove....