5 Dollars Egg Harbor Bank

Egg Harbor Bank was chartered in Atlantic County, New Jersey, a region whose economy ran on the glass industry and small coastal trade rather than heavy commerce. The note dates to the final months before the National Currency Act began displacing state-chartered bank paper — a period when hundreds of small American banks were still issuing their own obligations with little federal oversight and varying degrees of actual specie backing.

New Jersey state bank notes from this window are frequently found with significant circulation wear; the redemption infrastructure was thin and notes traveled far from home. Atlantic County issues in particular are underrepresented in major collections.