1890年2美元纸钞 PMG Gem Unc 66 EPQ
Fr. 355. 1890 $2 Treasury Note. PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ.，This is a spectacular example of a difficult issue, so nice in fact that we must assume that a thoughtful collector picked it up very shortly after it was issued and held it carefully. The paper is bright and fresh, earning the EPQ designation from PMG. It nicely accentuates the strong ink tones of the very ornate and attractive design. Near-perfect centering on both sides is enhanced by comfortably broad and even margins all around. There is little more that one could ask for in a high-grade note, and for this type, most collectors will find themselves settling for a far inferior note, as this is a significant rarity in high grade.
The offered piece is one of the very finest survivors of this variety, and truly an exceptional specimen. The "fancy back" type was issued in three different variants, Fr. 353, 354, and 355, and all of them are very rare in Uncirculated grades, let alone as a solid Gem. For this Friedberg number specifically, the number of Uncirculated notes graded by both PMG and PCGS <em>combined </em>is six. At the grade level assigned to this note, this piece has only two peers with none graded finer. Very few collectors may own this variety in an Uncirculated grade, and the number who can own a Gem may be easily counted on one hand. Certainly the number of collectors desiring a superb note is higher, and we anticipate that the auction result will illustrate this fact.
The distinctive portrait on the face of this note is that of Union Major General James Birdseye McPherson. This series of notes was designed in celebration of the strength of the Union, undoubtedly effective at a time when many Americans remembered their own experiences of the Civil War. McPherson, killed in the July 1864 Battle of Atlanta, served as chief engineer under General U.S. Grant in 1862, and later served in the Vicksburg Campaign (1862-1863) and the Battle of Shiloh (1864), after which he was given command of the Army of the Tennessee. His death is notable in more than one respect. The army he faced in Atlanta was led by Confederate General John Bell Hood, who had been McPhersons classmate at West Point, illustrating how close associates and even brothers found themselves opposing each other on the field of battle. Additionally he was the second highest ranking Union officer killed in the war.
This note has been held in the collections of two true connoisseurs for decades, each of whom were long-time Stacks clients. We first sold this piece in October 1988 as part of the Gilbert Steinberg Collection, a large holding of several specialties that was sold through our firm across numerous sales. We acquired it for inventory at the time, and the collector of the Vanderbilt notes, with his keen eye for quality, acquired it just three months later.
In todays world of the Internet and the short term relationships that many collectors have with dealers, it is interesting to reflect on the grand tradition of Stacks, also in the career of Q. David Bowers, in which many of the leading collectors placed faith in these individuals over a period of many years. On our website Harvey Stack has been sharing many of his reminiscences.<p>，From the A.J. Vanderbilt Collection. Earlier from the Gilbert Steinberg Collection, Stacks, October 1988, lot 339; Stacks Fixed Price List, January 1989.，
