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5 Dollars Mechanics Bank - New York
| Issuer | Mechanics Bank, Brooklyn, New York |
|---|---|
| Year | 1855 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | The upper centre of the note carries an intaglio vignette of a seated female allegorical figure reclining on rocks, holding a large circular frame with a harbour and sailing vessels in the background. To the upper left, a large ornate 'V' counter is set within a floral guilloche medallion, while the lower left bears a secondary vignette of a woman with an eagle. Three circular '5' counters with fine lathe-work guilloche occupy the right margin. The bank title 'The Mechanics Bank' is rendered in bold blackletter script across the centre, above the denomination cartouche 'FIVE DOLLARS', with the place and date 'Brooklyn, April 1st 1855' inscribed in manuscript below. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is unprinted, presenting plain cream-coloured cotton paper with no design elements, lettering, or security features. The surface shows age-related toning, fold lines, and scattered manuscript notations consistent with contemporary use. |
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| Comments |
Danforth, Wright & Co. occupied a brief but productive window in American siderographic printing — the firm name appears only in the mid-1850s, representing one of several reorganizations among the interconnected partnerships that eventually consolidated into the American Bank Note Company in 1858. Notes bearing this imprint are effectively dated by the name alone.
The Mechanics Bank of Brooklyn was a state-chartered institution operating under New York's free banking laws. By 1855 Brooklyn was still an independent city, three decades from consolidation into New York City, and its banks issued currency in their own name accordingly.