They are from the Northwestern Bank in Warren, Pennsylvania. Dated July 18, 1861 so it's a week away from being 159 years old. What's a week at that age? Lol Face value is $5.00 each but it's worth more than that today. Both are sequentially numbered, No. 1543 and No. 1544. A nice find and in my home state. I turned them sideways as a little more showed. The backs are blank except for an ink spot.
Very cool. It must have been a pain trying to track all the different banknotes back then! Did one spend these like regular money?
Exceptional find. Good job. Sometimes my internet is so slow that it will stop downloading a photo at just the top and I thought you were going to show us a note that had been put through a shredder. LOL
Banknotes were issued and used in a given area around the issuing bank. You could notbuse banknotes issued by one bank and spend them an area not served by the issuing bank.