First National Gold Bank of Santa Barbara $10 1873 National Gold Bank Note, Charter 2104
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1873
Established in 1873, this institution served a region known for its historical distrust of unbacked paper currency, necessitating the use of gold-backed notes. This specific specimen features the serial number 638, indicating its origin from the second shipment delivered to the Comptroller of the Currency in September 1873.
The banknote displays intricate engraving work, including the face vignettes depicting Franklin and Electricity, and America Seizing the Lightning. The verso features a prominent vignette of pre-1933 United States gold coins, which was a hallmark of the National Gold Bank series. The note bears the penned signatures of Cashier Amasa L. Lincoln and President Mortimer Cook, who served during the 1873-1875 period. Printed by the American Bank Note Company, this banknote is a significant survivor from a limited production run of 2,400 notes issued for this bank, representing a geographic outlier among the California-based National Gold Banks of the era.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Bank
- First National Gold Bank of Santa Barbara
- Serial number
- 638
- Charter number
- 2104
Technical characteristics
- Issuer
- American Bank Note Company
- Fr number
- Fr. 1145
- Denomination
- $10
Design
- Signatures
- Amasa L. Lincoln (Cashier), Mortimer Cook (President)
- Reverse vignette
- Pre-33 gold coins
- Obverse vignettes
- Franklin and Electricity, America Seizing the Lightning
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
- Maker named in listing
- American Bank Note Company
Documentation checklist
- Denomination
- Research required
- Issue or mint date
- Recorded
- Material
- Research required
- Weight
- Research required
- Mint or printer
- Research required
- Mint or printer mark
- Research required
- Catalogue reference
- Research required
- Attached photograph (check rights)
- Recorded
Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.