Catalog
1 Dollars
| Issuer | St. Stephens Bank, St. Stephen |
|---|---|
| Year | 1863 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Cotton paper |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK ST. STEPHENS BANK St. Stephen, May 1, 1863 Z. CHIPMAN Pay to bearer ONE DOLLAR in current funds of the United States PRESIDENT CASHIER AMERICAN BANK NOTE CO. NEW YORK |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | ONE |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
St. Stephens Bank was a New Brunswick chartered bank operating in the border town of St. Stephen, directly across the St. Croix River from Calais, Maine. The economic entanglement between these two communities was so tight that American and Canadian currencies circulated interchangeably on both sides — a practice the local population reportedly defended well into the Confederation period despite official disapproval from both governments.
The American Bank Note Company imprint places production firmly in New York, which was routine for Maritime Canadian banks of this period lacking domestic security printers of comparable quality. This note was issued the same year the U.S. introduced the National Banking System, an irony not lost on a town where the border ran down the middle of daily commerce.