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1 Dollar Bank of Washtenaw
| Issuer | Bank of Washtenaw |
|---|---|
| Year | 1854 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Intaglio-printed face with a central allegorical vignette of three classical female figures in a pastoral landscape, an eagle hovering above, set against a fine lathe-work guilloche ground; large ornate numeral "1" counters occupy the upper left and right corners within engine-turned ovals, while a circular medallion at lower left incorporates the Michigan state seal inscribed "INCORPORATED 1835" with a seated female figure holding scales, and a secondary rural vignette at lower right shows two figures conversing in a field. The bank title "THE BANK OF WASHTENAW" runs in bold letterpress across the centre, with the denomination "ONE DOLLAR" inset in a dark panel below. The promise-to-pay text, place of issue Ann Arbor, and the printer's imprint of Danforth, Wright & Co. complete the lower margin. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely unprinted, presenting a plain paper surface with no vignettes, lettering, or ornamental work of any kind. |
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| Comments |
The Bank of Washtenaw operated out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, during the Free Banking era — a period when Michigan state law allowed virtually any group meeting minimum specie reserve requirements to issue currency. The system was notorious for abuse, and Michigan had already lived through the "wildcat banking" disasters of the late 1830s, when dozens of institutions collapsed and left note-holders with worthless paper. By 1854, the regulatory environment had tightened, but public suspicion of Michigan bank notes remained well-founded.
Danforth, Wright & Co. was among the most technically accomplished security printers of the antebellum period, their work considered a credible deterrent to counterfeiters at a time when forgery of small-denomination notes was endemic.