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20 Dollars National Bank Note; "Brown Back"
| Issuer | Otica City National Bank, Utica, New York |
|---|---|
| Year | 1882 |
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| Printer | Bureau of Engraving and Printing, United States (1862-date) |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is executed in intaglio on a fine lathe-work border with denomination numerals "20" at upper left and right corners and repeated in the side margins. At left, a vignette illustrates the "Battle of Lexington," with Revolutionary War combatants in dynamic composition; at right, a second vignette shows "Columbia leading a procession," a classically draped allegorical female figure accompanied by attendants. The issuing bank's name and charter number appear in bold Gothic lettering at center, with the Treasury signatures, red serial number, and charter number overprinted in red ink. |
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| Obverse lettering | NATIONAL CURRENCY. THIS NOTE IS SECURED BY BONDS OF THE UNITED STATES Deposited with the U.S. Treasurer at Washington. (charter location)(charter name) Will pay TWENTY DOLLARS to Bearer on demand. BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING TREASy. DEPt. |
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| Comments |
The "Brown Back" series ran from 1882 to 1908, bridging the transition away from the earlier Series of 1875 nationals. Fr#493 is the $20 denomination within that series — brown ink on the reverse was a deliberate Treasury decision to distinguish reissued notes from the green-back reverses of the preceding type, reducing confusion during the overlap period when both circulated simultaneously.
National Bank Notes of this era were obligations of the issuing bank, not the federal government directly. The Utica City National Bank, chartered in Oneida County, was one of several competing commercial banks operating in Utica during a period when the city's manufacturing economy — particularly textiles — was still expanding. Brown Backs from smaller regional New York charters are meaningfully harder to locate than those from major metropolitan issuers.