The
Stack’s Bowers Galleries March Baltimore currency auction will feature fascinating
National Currency notes from the German American Banknote Collection. This
collection, assembled by a private collector over the course of about 50 years,
includes 55 notes from banks with German-American ownership. Our consignor
sought to capture the story of German immigration to America in the 19th
century and early 20th century as it was told through National
Currency.
The
first German immigrants settled in the major metropolitan areas of the East
Coast like New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. German-American banks sprang
up in each of those areas. As transportation improved, immigrants pushed
further inland, expanding along the Allegheny and Ohio River valleys. There
banks like the German National Bank of Cincinnati, Ohio (Charter #2524) and the
German National Bank of Allegheny, Pennsylvania (Charter #2261) were opened to
serve local German populations. Eventually later waves of German immigrants
established communities in the Midwest and banks were established in places
like Saint Paul, Minnesota, Oshkosh, Wisconsin and Beatrice, Nebraska. Lastly
German banks opened on the West Coast as immigrant waves moved clear across the
nation in search of prosperity. There banks were opened from San Diego to San
Francisco in California and in the Pacific Northwest in Oregon and Washington.
Among
the highlights of the German American Banknote Collection is an 1882 $5 Brown
Back from the German National Bank of Beatrice, Nebraska (Charter #4148). That
note, lot #20427, is graded Choice Uncirculated 64 by PMG and is estimated to
sell for $5,000-$7,000. An 1882 $10 Brown Back from the German National Bank of
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin (Charter #4602) is graded Very Fine 30 by PCGS Currency
and is estimated at $2,000-$3,000 (lot #20494).
The Stack’s Bowers Galleries Official Currency Auction of the
Whitman Coin & Collectibles Spring Expo is being held March 22-23,
2018. To consign to an upcoming Stack’s Bowers auction, contact Director
of Currency Peter Treglia at petert@stacksbowers.com or Currency
Specialist Brad Ciociola at bciociola@stacksbowers.com.
