The Mechanics National Bank Of New Britain
The Mechanics National Bank Of New Britain in Connecticut printed $705,150 dollars worth of national currency. That is a high amount, but condition and serial numbers can make otherwise common currency from this bank quite valuable. This national bank opened in 1887 and stopped printing money in 1907, which equals a 21 year printing period. That is a fairly normal lifespan for a national bank. During its life, The Mechanics National Bank Of New Britain issued 5 different types and denominations of national currency. We have examples of the types listed below. Your bank note should look similar. Just the bank name will be different. For the record, The Mechanics National Bank Of New Britain was located in Hartford County. It was assigned charter number 3668.
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The Mechanics National Bank Of New Britain in Connecticut printed 8,605 sheets of $5 1882 brown back national bank notes. A print range between 5,000 and 10,000 suggests that there should be at least a couple of notes known to exist. You can take the total number of sheets printed and multiply that number by four to get the exact number of 1882 $5 brown back bank notes this bank issued. Each note has a portrait of James Garfield on the left hand side of the bill. These are very popular with collectors because they have different text layouts. Some notes are worth as little as a few hundred dollars, but most are worth a good deal more.
Series of 1882 $5 Brown Back
The Mechanics National Bank Of New Britain printed 10,589 sheets of $10 1882 brown back national bank notes. When we start talking about a printing number in the five figure range, then you are likely not dealing with a great rarity. However, the note could certainly still be popular and valuable. There were three $10 bills printed on a single sheet of 1882 brown backs. The design of the bill is similar to all earlier ten dollar national bank notes. The nickname comes from the fact that these bills have a brown seal and brown overprint. Despite saying series of 1882, these were actually printed by some banks up until 1908. The date you see in cursive relates to when the bank first started issuing brown back notes.
Series of 1882 $10 Brown Back
The Mechanics National Bank Of New Britain also printed 10,589 sheets of $20 1882 brown back national bank notes. Due to the way brown back sheets were printed we know that the sheet output number equals the number of $20 brown backs printed. When we see a number over 10,000 there is a good chance that the note isn’t going to be especially rare. However, it never hurts to ask. One neat thing about all brown backs is that they each have a different back design based on which state issued them. The back left hand side of the note shows the state seal of which ever state the national bank was located in. Generally speaking, 1882 $20 brown backs are pretty difficult to locate. They typically were printed in small numbers and they don’t have a great survival rate.
Series of 1882 $20 Brown Back
The Mechanics National Bank Of New Britain also printed 72 sheets of $10 1902 red seal national bank notes. All red seals are very rare. But that sheet output is extremely low. We would love to see a picture of what you have. Collectors love ten dollar 1902 red seals. They usually represent the rarest bank notes printed by any national bank. Don’t let the term “series of 1902” confuse you. These were actually printed for about six years between 1902 and 1908. That is obviously a very short issue period which means that many red seals are quite rare. Each note has a portrait of William McKinley. Be sure to check the number under McKinley. If it is #1 then you are dealing with a note from the first sheet of bank notes issued. Number one bank notes are worth even more money than the already rare red seals.
1902 $10 Red Seal National Bank Note
The Mechanics National Bank Of New Britain also printed 72 sheets of $20 1902 red seal national bank notes. Twenty dollar red seal bank notes have poor survival rates. They don’t command premiums compared to the ten dollar denomination, but they are definitely rarer. All 1902 red seals were printed on four note sheets. There were three ten dollar bills and one twenty dollar bill per sheet. The 1902 $20 notes have a portrait of Hugh McCulloch on them. The charter number and seal are both printed in red ink. The serial numbers have a slight blue tint to them. The charter number is printed around the border of the note several times. The bank’s title is right in the middle of the note and the state of issue is printed just below the title. Remember that all national bank notes are valued based on their condition and rarity. The same rule applies to 1902 $20 red seals.
1902 $20 Red Seal National Bank Note
