Fr. 161. 1880 $50 Legal Tender Note. PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ.

The Series of 1880 is perhaps one of the longest-lived series of banknotes by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. From 1880 to the 1920s notes bearing "Series of 1880" were integral to commerce in the United States, and account for a significant portion of recorded large-size notes today. However, those figures, as one would expect, are highly skewed towards lower denominations, high denomination notes like the $50 and $100 are prohibitively rare on the open market and only appear with frequency at only the most prestigious of auctions. With only a scant 67 notes recorded overall for this Friedberg entry, most are uncirculated as these likely languished in bank vaults and rarely circulated outside of limited channels. Bestowed with exceptional eye appeal and originality this note exudes with appeal in both a technical and aesthetic sense. In a technical sense, this note is one of only 9 examples to have achieved the coveted Gem Uncirculated 66 grade at PMG. Even margins and bold details contrasted against the creamy-white paper accentuate the aesthetic aspects. Aesthetically this example oozes with the aesthetic excess common to notes of the period. At left, is a portrait of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin while at right is a forceful depiction of a female allegorical figure of Amazonian features representing "America" who is leaning against a shield and holds a sword in her right hand while wearing a chain-mail cuirass. At center is an ornamental die with the Roman numeral L within and FIFTY spelled out above. A large brownish-red spiked Treasury Seal appears just to the right of center which practically dominates the face while the vivid array of green inks of the reverse exudes with originality. Overall, this note represents a premium item that is sure to assume a place of honor in whatever collection it may land.

Estimate: $30000.00- $40000.00