The First National Bank Of Hillsdale
The First National Bank Of Hillsdale in Michigan printed $932,730 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 1863 and stopped printing money in 1934, which equals a 72 year printing period. That is considering a long operation period for a national bank. During its life, The First National Bank Of Hillsdale issued 13 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 First National Bank Of Hillsdale was located in Hillsdale County. It was assigned charter number 168.
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The First National Bank Of Hillsdale in Michigan issued 5,750 sheets of $5 original series national bank notes. Just because a print range is between 5,000 and 10,000 doesn’t mean that individual notes will be easy to buy. That number isn’t really high or low. Some notes are extremely rare and some could be from a hoard. Values are determined based on condition and the number of known survivors. Each five dollar original series bank note has a spiked red seal. That is pretty much the only design difference between it and later issues. These are really beautiful notes. One neat thing about these is that the back of each note has a vignette of the corresponding state seal. Some of the state seals are very imaginative. Collecting by state seal was very popular early on in the hobby. Today most collectors are more concerned about bank of issue and condition. Serial number one bank notes are also extremely popular.
Original Series $5 National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Hillsdale printed 1,195 sheets of $5 series of 1875 national bank notes. Any time you see a print range between 1,000 and 2,500 you can assume that the bank was small and that their notes could be fairly scarce. Series of 1875 $5 bills are some of the most commonly encountered bank notes from the first charter series. Only the original series $1 bill is more available. Some banks exclusively issued five dollar bills. So if you want an example from one of those banks then you don’t have many options. These notes have a rounded red seal and red serial numbers. They also all have a red charter number.
Series of 1875 $5 National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Hillsdale also printed 3,915 sheets of $5 1882 brown back national bank notes. That it is not an exceptionally low number of sheets. However, you have to remember that we are talking about bank notes printed before 1902. Even a large print number could have a very low survival rate. 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 First National Bank Of Hillsdale also printed 224 sheets of $10 1882 brown back national bank notes. Very few national banks issued such a small number of 1882 brown backs. 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 First National Bank Of Hillsdale also printed 224 sheets of $20 1882 brown back national bank notes. As you can see, the sheet output is the same for $20 brown backs as it is for $10 brown backs. There was only one $20 brown back printed on a sheet. So the sheet output also equals the total note output. 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 First National Bank Of Hillsdale also printed 625 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 First National Bank Of Hillsdale also printed 625 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
The First National Bank Of Hillsdale also printed 8,736 sheets of $10 1902 blue seal national bank notes. That is a fairly standard sheet output for a national bank issuing blue seals. You likely aren’t dealing with a super common or a super rare bank note. 1902 $10 blue seal bank notes all have a portrait of William McKinley on them. Values can range from as little as $40 up to over $10,000. There really is no trick to know what is rare and what is common by just doing an internet search. You really need to work with an expert (like us) in order to determine the value of your specific bank note. There are at least ten different factors than can make some 1902 $10 blue seals worth more than others. We know exactly what to look for and we would be happy to provide a free appraisal and our best offer.
1902 $10 Blue Seal National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Hillsdale also printed 8,736 sheets of $20 1902 blue seal national bank notes. The same rarity rules for 1902 $10 blue seals also apply to $20 blue seals. Just remember that $20 bills are by nature three times rarer (unfortunately they don’t command a premium over other denominations). Hugh McCulloch is pictured on the front of each bill. Contact us if you need pricing help.
1902 $20 Blue Seal National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Hillsdale also printed 2,610 sheets of Type1 1929 $10 national bank notes. That is a pretty typical sheet output for a national bank during the small size era. Each $10 bill from 1929 has a portrait of Alexander Hamilton on it. The black number written vertically is the charter number. The charter number never affects the value; it is just an identifier. The ten dollar type1 national bank note happens to be the single most common national bank note, with over 65,000 known to exist from all banks. Of course each note is valued based on its condition and rarity. Some are very rare.
Series of 1929 Type1 $10 National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Hillsdale also printed 698 sheets of Type1 1929 $20 national bank notes. This is a small print range, but it does not guarantee rarity. Andrew Jackson is featured on the front of each 1929 $20 bill. Be sure to take note of the serial number on your specific bank note. If it is 000001 then you can expect a nice premium. There is a special market for serial number one bank notes. Of course, even if the number isn’t #1, it could still be collectible and have a high value just based on its condition and rarity alone.
Series of 1929 Type1 $20 National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Hillsdale also printed 522 individual notes from the type2 1929 $10 national bank note series. Type2 1929 national bank notes are already rare to begin with. A printing of less than 1,000 is especially low. The easiest way to spot the difference between type1 1929 $10 bills and 1929 type2 $10 bills is in the serial number. Type2 notes have a serial number that ends with a number. 1929 type1 notes have a serial number that ends with the letter A. Generally speaking, these $10 bills are rarer than the earlier type1 issues. However, most collectors don’t pay more for that rarity because they look basically the same.
Series of 1929 Type2 $10 National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Hillsdale also printed 150 individual notes from the type2 1929 $20 national bank note series. Type2 1929 national bank notes are already rare to begin with. A printing of less than 1,000 is especially low. One of the great things about 1929 type2 $20 national bank notes is that they really aren’t that old and some can be extremely rare. Until the big head $20 series started there really wasn’t much difference between something printed in 1929 and the same bill printed in 1993. We have bought some examples in the past few months that people just found in their change.
Series of 1929 Type2 $20 National Bank Note
