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50 Dollars Mechanics' Bank of Augusta - Georgia
| Issuer | Mechanics' Bank of Augusta |
|---|---|
| Year | 1835 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Dollar (1785-date) |
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| Obverse description | Three allegorical labour vignettes span the face: at left, two standing male figures flank a female figure, with one man raising a hammer over an anvil; at centre, a steam locomotive and tender in motion; at right, a paddlewheel river steamer. Denomination counters reading '50' appear at the lower corners, with the issuing bank title and State of Georgia designation rendered in bold letterpress across the upper register. Blank spaces are provided for handwritten payee, date, and authorising signatures. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | L L STATE OF GEORGIA The MECHANICS' BANK of AUGUSTA Will pay Fifty Dollars on demand to__________ or bearer Augusta _____ 18__ 50 50 |
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| Comments |
Rawdon, Wright & Hatch were among the most technically accomplished security printers operating in antebellum America, and Georgia's chartered banks were among their steadiest clients. The Mechanics' Bank of Augusta received its charter in 1833, just two years before this note was issued — it was a young institution printing high-denomination paper at a moment when Georgia's banking sector was expanding rapidly and public trust in state-chartered banks was already fragile.
The $50 face value placed this note firmly in commercial rather than retail circulation. Most antebellum Georgia private bank notes at this level were used to settle wholesale accounts and land transactions, not everyday trade.