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Fr. 377 $100 1890 Treasury Note PMG Very Fine 35. When

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Paper Money - United States Start Price:30,000.00 USD Estimated At:120,000.00 - 180,000.00 USD
Fr. 377 $100 1890 Treasury Note PMG Very Fine 35. When
<B>Fr. 377 $100 1890 Treasury Note PMG Very Fine 35.</B></I> When Treasury Department engravers set out to produce the designs for the soon-to-be-issued 1890 Treasury Notes, little did they think the back designs for the $100 and $1000 denominations were to be among the most recognized by currency collectors today. The skillfully executed designs by W.A. Copenhaver, W.H. Dougal, G.U. Rose Jr. and J.A. Rueff included oversized zeros that featured textured-appearing ripples reminiscent of watermelon skin. Today, the notes are simply referred to as the "Watermelon," and "Grand Watermelon." The $100 Treasury Note was printed starting in late 1890; total production was only 120,000 notes. The near exclusive use of these notes in large-denomination transactions led to a heavy redemption rate. Today, extant examples number less than three dozen. This number is misleading when looked at closely, as eight of the surviving examples will forever be held in institutional collections; the majority of the rest are held by collectors that acquired them a decade or more ago. Once any collector gets his hands on a Watermelon Note, its reappearance on the market will typically only come in an estate sale. This note has been off the market for over a quarter of a century since it last appeared in a New England Rare Coin Auctions sale. The note is somewhat optimistically listed as "Extremely Fine" in Martin Gengerke's United States Paper Money Records, but it certainly does carry that appearance. The PMG grade of Choice Very Fine seems right on the money to us. The note does have a small well-repaired margin split at the top, which PMG has noted on the holder as, "Split Repair." It's a well margined piece, with terrific color on both sides. One of the classic pieces in the Dauer Collection, the note appears (plated on both sides) on page 236 of their book.<BR><I>From The Dr. Edward and Joanne Dauer Collection</B></I>