Additional information
| Condition | VF, crisp |
|---|---|
| Size | 13.25" x 3.75" |
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Date | 190x |
| Cancel | SPECIMEN stamp in red |
| Printer | National Bank Note Co., NY |
Germania National Bank Specimen check, NBNCo 1900 with matching Vignette die proof
$250.00
NBNCo + ABNCo imprints, 190x. Beautiful vignettes, crisp condition. Pencil notation at bottom. Vignette die proof measures 3.25″ x 2″, overall 8.75″ x 5.75″. Pencil notation on back: J.B. 5-60, possibly James Bannister, May 1860.
Some people saw the formation of the American Bank Note Company (ABNC) in 1858 as a threat, because a firm formed by the merger of seven companies suggested monopoly. The National Bank Note Company (NBNC) was created (1859) in opposition to the growing ABNC monopoly of the engraving and printing industry. Four principal member employees of Danforth, Perkins and Company resigned when DPC and the six other firms comprising ABNC disagreed about the terms of the merger. The four employees from Danforth, Perkins and Company, two employees from its earlier firm (Danforth, Wright and Company), and three bankers organized NBNC.
NBNC solicited business from banks wanting engraved bank notes, receiving its first order in 1860. It also printed depression scrip notes. In mid-1861, it won a contract to print all U.S. postage stamps, which it held until 1872. The company faced fierce competition from ABNC during this time, and finally capitulated to a consolidation with Continental Bank Note Company and ABNC in 1879.
