One of the attractions of collecting Obsolete paper money is the extraordinary art and design work that resulted in incredibly attractive banknotes. In currency terms, “Obsoletes” roughly encompass notes issued by both banks and other types of issuers such as insurance companies, railroads, city, county, state, and local governments, and even individuals from roughly the founding of the nation until the conclusion of the Civil War. Each of these issuers introduced paper money into circulation with little or no regulation.
With many tens of thousands of issuers ordering banknotes for use in circulation, a massive array of vignettes were engraved by printing companies to grace these notes. A large number of subjects, including famous personages and landmarks, modes of transportation, animals, American Indians, and patriotic and allegorical personifications, were selected… read more >
