The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge in Iowa printed $4,285,710 dollars worth of national currency. Over $1,000,000 face value is a lot of money. However, some types and denominations of currency from this bank could still be rare. This national bank opened in 1866 and stopped printing money in 1931, which equals a 66 year printing period. That is considering a long operation period for a national bank. During its life, The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge issued 17 different types and denominations of national currency. We have examples of the types listed below. Your bank note should look similar. Just the bank name will be different. For the record, The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge was located in Webster County. It was assigned charter number 1661.
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The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge in Iowa issued 2,300 sheets of $1 original series national bank notes. A print range between 1,000 and 2,500 is small. Combine that with something that was printed before 1875 and you can imagine that these notes are few and far between. One of the most interesting things about early first charter one dollar national bank notes is all of the different slight variations you can find. Some notes have a red charter number, others do not. Some have red serial numbers and some have blue serial numbers. Some are printed on white paper and others are printed on paper with a slight blue tint. You can really find lots of different ways to collect these. Generally speaking, prices for “first charter aces” are down from their highs. So there are some bargains in this arena of collecting.
Original Series $1 National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge printed 2,300 sheets of $2 original series national bank notes. It is important to know production numbers for original series two dollar bills for informational purposes. All $2 bills printed before 1875 are very rare and highly desirable. Most survivors represent the only known example for that bank. Collectors call these $2 bills lazy deuces. The large two on the face of the bill is pictured horizontally, thus making it look lazy. Don’t be fooled by the silly name though. These can be worth significant amounts of money on many occasions.
Original Series $2 National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 3,450 sheets of $5 original series national bank notes. It is actually pretty standard for an early national bank to have a sheet output range between 2,500 and 5,000. The exact value of a bill is still going to be based on the number of notes known and the condition of each bank note. Each five dollar original series bank note has a spiked red seal. That is pretty much the only design difference between it and later issues. These are really beautiful notes. One neat thing about these is that the back of each note has a vignette of the corresponding state seal. Some of the state seals are very imaginative. Collecting by state seal was very popular early on in the hobby. Today most collectors are more concerned about bank of issue and condition. Serial number one bank notes are also extremely popular.
Original Series $5 National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 200 sheets of $1 series of 1875 national bank notes. It is rare to see a sheet output of under 1,000 like this. However, it did happen for some very scarce issuers. Series of 1875 one dollar first charter national bank notes were only printed between 1875 and 1878. That is the shortest production period of any national bank note. That doesn’t automatically mean that these are worth thousands of dollars, but they could be. Collectors often don’t differentiate between original series and 1875 notes because they look so similar.
Series of 1875 $1 National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 200 sheets of $2 series of 1875 national bank notes. If you are lucky enough to have a two dollar note from 1875 then don’t get too hung up on the number of bills printed. All notes are rare and in demand; we would be happy to help you value yours. There was only one $2 bill printed per sheet of national currency. So that sheet number also equals the total number of bank notes printed for the denomination. And as we said above, these were also only printed until 1878. That is one of the main reasons they are so rare today.
Series of 1875 $2 National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 5,765 sheets of $5 series of 1875 national bank notes. A print range between 5,000 and 10,000 is a pretty high number. But you have to remember we are talking about bank notes from the 1870s and 1880s. Even banks with high issue numbers could be rare today. Series of 1875 $5 bills are some of the most commonly encountered bank notes from the first charter series. Only the original series $1 bill is more available. Some banks exclusively issued five dollar bills. So if you want an example from one of those banks then you don’t have many options. These notes have a rounded red seal and red serial numbers. They also all have a red charter number.
Series of 1875 $5 National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 19,275 sheets of $5 1882 brown back national bank notes. When we start talking about a printing number in the five figure range, then you are likely not dealing with a great rarity. However, the note could certainly still be popular and valuable. You can take the total number of sheets printed and multiply that number by four to get the exact number of 1882 $5 brown back bank notes this bank issued. Each note has a portrait of James Garfield on the left hand side of the bill. These are very popular with collectors because they have different text layouts. Some notes are worth as little as a few hundred dollars, but most are worth a good deal more.
Series of 1882 $5 Brown Back
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 8,528 sheets of $10 1882 brown back national bank notes. A print range between 5,000 and 10,000 suggests that there should be at least a couple of notes known to exist. There were three $10 bills printed on a single sheet of 1882 brown backs. The design of the bill is similar to all earlier ten dollar national bank notes. The nickname comes from the fact that these bills have a brown seal and brown overprint. Despite saying series of 1882, these were actually printed by some banks up until 1908. The date you see in cursive relates to when the bank first started issuing brown back notes.
Series of 1882 $10 Brown Back
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 8,528 sheets of $20 1882 brown back national bank notes. As you can see, the sheet output is the same for $20 brown backs as it is for $10 brown backs. There was only one $20 brown back printed on a sheet. So the sheet output also equals the total note output. One neat thing about all brown backs is that they each have a different back design based on which state issued them. The back left hand side of the note shows the state seal of which ever state the national bank was located in. Generally speaking, 1882 $20 brown backs are pretty difficult to locate. They typically were printed in small numbers and they don’t have a great survival rate.
Series of 1882 $20 Brown Back
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 4,540 sheets of $5 1902 red seal national bank notes. That may sound like a high number. However, red seals did not survive in large numbers. It is likely still quite rare. Five dollar red seals are typically a little bit rarer than some higher denominations. That rarity is typically just a result of small issuances. Most national banks preferred to issue $10 and $20 1902 red seals. Each one of these five dollar bank notes has a portrait of Ben Harrison on the left hand side of the bill. Most people are quick to notice the cursive charter date with a year between 1902 and 1908 written on it. That date will never affect the value.
1902 $5 Red Seal National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 3,684 sheets of $10 1902 red seal national bank notes. That may sound like a high number. However, red seals did not survive in large numbers. It is likely still quite rare. Collectors love ten dollar 1902 red seals. They usually represent the rarest bank notes printed by any national bank. Don’t let the term “series of 1902” confuse you. These were actually printed for about six years between 1902 and 1908. That is obviously a very short issue period which means that many red seals are quite rare. Each note has a portrait of William McKinley. Be sure to check the number under McKinley. If it is #1 then you are dealing with a note from the first sheet of bank notes issued. Number one bank notes are worth even more money than the already rare red seals.
1902 $10 Red Seal National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 3,684 sheets of $20 1902 red seal national bank notes. Twenty dollar red seal bank notes have poor survival rates. They don’t command premiums compared to the ten dollar denomination, but they are definitely rarer. All 1902 red seals were printed on four note sheets. There were three ten dollar bills and one twenty dollar bill per sheet. The 1902 $20 notes have a portrait of Hugh McCulloch on them. The charter number and seal are both printed in red ink. The serial numbers have a slight blue tint to them. The charter number is printed around the border of the note several times. The bank’s title is right in the middle of the note and the state of issue is printed just below the title. Remember that all national bank notes are valued based on their condition and rarity. The same rule applies to 1902 $20 red seals.
1902 $20 Red Seal National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 28,915 sheets of $5 1902 blue seal national bank notes. Once a bank prints more than 10,000 sheets of blue seals it becomes very difficult for those notes to be rare. Ben Harrison is on the front of all 1902 $5 blue seal bank notes. This happens to be the smallest denomination issued for the 1902 series. Each note is complete with a blue seal and blue charter number. Despite saying series of 1902, these were actually issued by national banks between 1908 and 1928. There are two different types of blue seals. The first type is called a date back and it has “1902-1908” written on the back of the bill. The other type is called a plain back; it does not have the date stamps on the back of the bill. The values for these notes range widely based on condition and the bank of issue.
1902 $5 Blue Seal National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 42,167 sheets of $10 1902 blue seal national bank notes. Once a bank prints more than 10,000 sheets of blue seals it becomes very difficult for those notes to be rare. 1902 $10 blue seal bank notes all have a portrait of William McKinley on them. Values can range from as little as $40 up to over $10,000. There really is no trick to know what is rare and what is common by just doing an internet search. You really need to work with an expert (like us) in order to determine the value of your specific bank note. There are at least ten different factors than can make some 1902 $10 blue seals worth more than others. We know exactly what to look for and we would be happy to provide a free appraisal and our best offer.
1902 $10 Blue Seal National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 42,617 sheets of $20 1902 blue seal national bank notes. The same rarity rules for 1902 $10 blue seals also apply to $20 blue seals. Just remember that $20 bills are by nature three times rarer (unfortunately they don’t command a premium over other denominations). Hugh McCulloch is pictured on the front of each bill. Contact us if you need pricing help.
1902 $20 Blue Seal National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 3,345 sheets of Type1 1929 $10 national bank notes. That is a pretty typical sheet output for a national bank during the small size era. Each $10 bill from 1929 has a portrait of Alexander Hamilton on it. The black number written vertically is the charter number. The charter number never affects the value; it is just an identifier. The ten dollar type1 national bank note happens to be the single most common national bank note, with over 65,000 known to exist from all banks. Of course each note is valued based on its condition and rarity. Some are very rare.
Series of 1929 Type1 $10 National Bank Note
The First National Bank Of Fort Dodge also printed 768 sheets of Type1 1929 $20 national bank notes. This is a small print range, but it does not guarantee rarity. Andrew Jackson is featured on the front of each 1929 $20 bill. Be sure to take note of the serial number on your specific bank note. If it is 000001 then you can expect a nice premium. There is a special market for serial number one bank notes. Of course, even if the number isn’t #1, it could still be collectible and have a high value just based on its condition and rarity alone.
Series of 1929 Type1 $20 National Bank Note