Michigan Bank Notes, 1913
Nickel, 1804 Dollar to be on display
The
American Numismatic Association Road Show will exhibit the Michigan Bank Notes
from the ANA Bebee Collection, the 1804 Dollar and the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel
at the Michigan State Numismatic Society 2014 Fall Convention, to be held on
November 28-30 at the Macomb Community College Expo Center in Warren, Michigan.
The
ANA Road Show gives collectors around the country an opportunity to see some of
the most impressive items from the ANA’s Edward C. Rochette Money Museum.
The display – sponsored by the Michigan State Numismatic Society
and ANA Governor Gary Adkins, who is celebrating his 50th
anniversary in the coin industry – will feature large-size National Bank notes
from Michigan in the Bebee collection. The highlight of the display are
two rare cut sheets of notes from the St. Johns National Bank – these are $10,
$10, $10, $20 note sets. The first set is brown backs from the 2nd charter
period while the second set is from the 3rd charter
period. The display is rounded out with two additional notes – a brown
back $5 from the National Exchange Bank of Plymouth and a red seal $10 from the
First National Bank of Marquette.
“National Bank notes are a window into history,” said Douglas
Mudd, curator at the Money Museum. “Any town that had a bank from the 1860s
through 1935 will have notes issued with the bank and town name – a tangible
connection to the past through money.”
Known as “The King of U.S. Coins,” the
1804 dollar is extremely rare, with only 15 known examples. No U.S. dollars
dated 1804 actually were struck in that year; Class I specimens were struck in
1834-5 as diplomatic gifts (eight known), while Class II (unique) and III
specimens (six known) were struck during the 1850s for collectors. The Class
III Idler/Bebee specimen was donated to the ANA by Aubrey and Adeline Bebee in
1991.
The
1913 Liberty Head Nickel is one of the most valuable of all U.S. coins. It was
one of five such nickels struck under mysterious circumstances at the
Philadelphia Mint. The coins were unknown until 1920 when Samuel Brown, a former
U.S. Mint employee, displayed all five at an ANA convention, creating a
sensation.
Former
owner James McDermott would carry the McDermott/Beebe specimen in his pocket to
show off to bar patrons and boast about its incredible value. Following McDermott’s
death, the coin was purchased at auction by Aubrey Bebee in 1967 for $46,000.
Bebee donated the coin to the ANA in 1989.
The
Show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 28 and 29, and 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 30. The Macomb Community College Expo Center, South
Campus, is located at 14500 East 12 Mile Road, Building P, Warren, Michigan.
The
American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered nonprofit
educational organization dedicated to encouraging people to study and collect
money and related items. The ANA helps its 26,000 members and the public
discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of education and
outreach programs, as well as its museum, library, publications, conventions
and seminars. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or go to www.money.org.
