Issued by one of largest National Banks in Philadelphia one might consign this uncut sheet to a position among its more common and comparatively unremarkable peers. Yet such a circumstance would be shortsighted as it does not account for the context in which it was made. The only large-size uncut sheet recorded on this institution, this exciting item is presented in lot 20380 of our August 2024 Global Showcase Auction.
Issued by the Philadelphia National Bank (Charter# 539) this sheet comes from an institution which first received its national charter in 1864 succeeding the Philadelphia Bank. Becoming one of the largest banks in Philadelphia and by extension Pennsylvania, notes from here can be had with relative east with close to 1,000 examples recorded by the National Bank Note Census. However, with almost anything there’s always going to be an exception and this uncut sheet embodies what it means to be “exceptional.”
Listed without as much as a serial number by the National Bank Note Census; this sheet was last offered publicly in June 1945 as lot 1462 in Bluestone’s sale of the Albert A. Grinnell Collection on page 193 of the catalog. Records attest this piece sold for $135 in 1945, but that price fails to capture the allure and awe associated with this piece.
From exceptional eye appeal resulting from little handling and careful storage to the deftly penned signatures of Cashier O. Howard Wolfe and President Joseph Wayne Jr. which were allegedly applied at Mr. Grinnell’s personal request. This sheet offers a revered provenance, as well as quality that reflects the very day it was last sold publicly.
This is a rare opportunity, one not to be missed, as this uncut sheet is among a number of sheets that haven’t been traded publicly in decades. Such a piece is all but destined to become a treasured centerpiece in whichever collection it may enter.
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