Skip to main content

Engraving mistake remained uncorrected

By Peter Huntoon and Doug Murray

While perusing the scans of the proofs on the Smithsonian website, Doug Murray spotted an extraordinary situation. Every Series of 1882 $1,000 gold certificate proof, including the countersigned Fr.1218a variety, utilized a misspelled Thousand in the central banner; specifically, “One Thonsand Dollars.”

This heretofore unrecognized mistake by the numismatic community is an out-and-out engraving error that was created when a letter engraver engraved the banner on a component die, the banner was lifted onto a component roll, and the image transferred onto the master generic full-face dies for both the countersigned and non-countersigned varieties.

Full-face rolls lifted from those masters were used to lay-in the generic faces onto the six 4-subject plates that ultimately were used to print the notes, which remained current for the next 25 years. We find it extraordinary that the mistake never was corrected.

Shown here a subject from the Fr.1218c proof (above) and a detail from the Fr.1218a countersigned proof (below).

 

This article was originally printed in Bank Note Reporter. >> Subscribe today.

 


 Standard Catalog of United States Paper Money
If you like what you’ve read here, we invite you to visit our online bookstore to learn more about Standard Catalog of United States Paper Money.

Learn more >>>


The post Engraving mistake remained uncorrected appeared first on Numismatic News.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Stack’s Bowers’ June 2020 Auction Nets Over $5 Million

The Stack’s Bowers Galleries June 2020 Auction continued the trend of high prices realized recently demonstrated in their March Santa Ana and May Hong Kong auctions. Over $5 million was realized in the June sale across United States coins, tokens, and medals, achieving 114 percent of the pre-sale estimate on sold lots. (All prices listed include the buyer’s fee.) Strong demand for high-end gold coinage reflected continued growth in this collecting area, while Numismatic America also saw incredible strength, earning over 50 percent above pre-sale estimates in Internet-Only Session Three. With such strong results in their June sale, Stack’s Bowers Galleries is anticipating considerable interest in their upcoming August 2020 Auction, which will be posted online for viewing and bidding in early July. This Mint State 1824/4 O-110 Capped Bust half dollar featuring Washington and Lafayette countermarks realized $26,400. (All images courtesy Stack’s Bowers) Session One opened with Numism

Mythology Featured on Early Indian Banknotes

The origin of the universe can be explained by modern astronomers and astrophysicists, while archaeologists and historians try to clarify the origin of human societies. A mythology is a collection of stories about a specific culture or religion. They often feature supernatural characters. Cultures around the world are filled with such ales about relationships between gods and humans. In the distant past, however, before any sciences existed, the beginnings of the world and of society were explained by MYTHOLOGY. Mythology is a common topic of expression through artwork. Not just dance; painting, sculpting, the mythology is a way of expression during many facets of day to day life. Even on Indian coins, stamps, and banknotes Mythology is featured with distinct concepts. The blog covers the topic: Mythology Featured on Early Indian Banknotes. As the British colonial reign strengthened in India over the years, their paper currency became the new normal. More denominations came in, layou

Letters to the Editor (September 18, 2018)

Minting a new 3-cent piece wasteful if not silly Mint a three-cents coin? In the Aug. 28 issue of Numismatic News , a Viewpoint article by Wayne Pearson advocated the issuance of a new three-cent denomination coin to replace the cent. I think this idea is silly since nothing can be bought for three cents. Minting such a denomination would be wasteful. The least expensive item I know of is a paper bag, which one can buy for 10 cents in California when buying groceries. Making any coin of a smaller denomination makes no sense. I advocate a complete reworking of all of our coin denominations as follows: A dime, as the smallest; a quarter; a half dollar; and a dollar and a five dollar, all in ascending order of size. Eliminate the $1 bill and the $5 bill and begin the printing of $500 bills. Thomas Miller Santa Rosa, Calif.   Base metal dollar coin designs that have circulated alongside the paper dollar include Eisenhower (top left), Susan B. Anthony (center right), and Sacagawea