The First National Bank Of Portsmouth
The First National Bank Of Portsmouth in New Hampshire printed $1,752,900 dollars worth of national currency. Over $1,000,000 face value is a lot of money. However, some types and denominations of currency from this bank could still be rare. This national bank opened in 1882 and stopped printing money in 1910, which equals a 29 year printing period. That is a fairly normal lifespan for a national bank. During its life, The First National Bank Of Portsmouth issued 9 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 Portsmouth was located in Rockingham County. It was assigned charter number 2672.
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The First National Bank Of Portsmouth in New Hampshire issued 18,757 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 First National Bank Of Portsmouth printed 18,757 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 First National Bank Of Portsmouth also printed 667 sheets of $50 1882 brown back national bank notes. Fifty dollar 1882 brown backs are few and far between. When the print number is under 1,000 like this bank then there is a great chance that you have a very rare bank note. The most common 1882 $50 brown backs are worth about $5,000. However, some can be worth more than $10,000 based on condition, serial number, and bank of issue.
Series of 1882 $50 Brown Back
The First National Bank Of Portsmouth also printed 667 sheets of $100 1882 brown back national bank notes. High denomination $50 and $100 brown backs were printed on the same sheet. So the number of sheets printed also equals the number bills printed for each denomination. You can see that $100 brown backs are extremely scarce on this bank. We are very interested in purchasing $100 1882 brown back national bank notes. We have paid more than $15,000 for some examples. Send us pictures of what you have and we will respond quickly with an appraisal and offer.
Series of 1882 $100 Brown Back
The First National Bank Of Portsmouth also printed 10,000 sheets of $10 1902 red seal national bank notes. Very few national banks printed more than 10,000 red seal sheets. 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 Portsmouth also printed 10,000 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 Portsmouth also printed 2,000 sheets of $5 1902 blue seal national bank notes. Most banks that printed such a small number of blue seal bank notes fall into the rare bank category. Ben Harrison is on the front of all 1902 $5 blue seal bank notes. This happens to be the smallest denomination issued for the 1902 series. Each note is complete with a blue seal and blue charter number. Despite saying series of 1902, these were actually issued by national banks between 1908 and 1928. There are two different types of blue seals. The first type is called a date back and it has “1902-1908” written on the back of the bill. The other type is called a plain back; it does not have the date stamps on the back of the bill. The values for these notes range widely based on condition and the bank of issue.
1902 $5 Blue Seal National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Portsmouth also printed 3,500 sheets of $10 1902 blue seal national bank notes. Many small national banks could be in business for years and only print between 2,500 and 5,000 sheets of blue seals. 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 Portsmouth also printed 3,500 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
