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2 Dollars State Bank of Michigan
| Issuer | State Bank of Michigan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1859 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 2 Dollars (2 USD) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| 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 | THE State Bank OF MICHIGAN, LYMAN'S PROTECTION. Bank Note on the right end measuring: $1. One Dollar, One third the length of the paper $2. Two Dollars, One half $3. Three Dollars, Two thirds $5. Five Dollars, Three fourths AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY DETROIT, __ 18_ On demand TWO DOLLARS Will be paid to bearer by the STATE BANK OF MICHIGAN. A / NO. SECURED BY PLEDGE OF PUBLIC STOCKS |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Lyman's Protection: a printed scale on the note face correlating each denomination to a specific fractional length of the paper, allowing recipients to verify authenticity by measuring the note against the stated proportions. |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The State Bank of Michigan was a product of the state's 1837 free banking law, which allowed almost anyone to establish a bank provided they deposited approved securities as backing. The system produced hundreds of short-lived institutions and an ocean of depreciated paper — Michigan became one of the better-known examples of antebellum wildcat banking excess, though by 1859 tighter regulation had thinned the field considerably.
American Bank Note Company's Detroit operation handled this issue, a detail worth noting because ABNC's Detroit work from this period is less thoroughly documented than its New York output. The dimension scale security device was a deliberate countermeasure against photographic reproduction, then an emerging threat to currency integrity.