Friedberg 26 (W-21). 1875 $1 Legal Tender Note. PCGS Currency Superb Gem New 67 PPQ.This is a beautifully printed 1875 Legal Tender ace, bearing the Allison-Wyman signature combination. The note displays the vignette <em>Columbus in Sight of Land,</em> as engraved by Joseph P. Ourdan, at left and the portrait of George Washington at center. The distinctive red overprint features a spiked Treasury Seal at left, and an ornate oval frame over the denomination counter at left along with "SERIES 1875" to the bottom right of the portrait and "1875" vertically at the right edge of the design. The green printed back design includes the imprint of the Columbian Bank Note twice along the bottom border of the design. The note is superbly centered with boardwalk margins. The paper is wholly original with natural paper wave and embossing easily noticed. PCGS Currency has graded no examples finer than this Superb Gem.<p><p>The Series of 1875 notes were first printed with a pink series letter on the face at the border in a circle at the lower right, as "SERIES / A /1875." Serial numbers are red, and the small spiked Treasury seal is pink. As noted, on the back "COLUMBIAN BANK NOTE CO." is imprinted twice. The company was located at 908 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. Established in 1870, it opened its doors for business on April 24, 1872, capitalized at $2,100,000. John G. Wellstood (prominent earlier in the era of state-chartered bank notes) was president, George T. Jones was vice president and treasurer, and John W. Waters was secretary and business agent. The Columbian Bank Note Company was closed in 1875 as by that time the Bureau of Engraving and Printing had taken over nearly all of the work.<p><p>As a class, Series of 1875 notes were issued from July 20, 1875, to June 20, 1879. The order of issuance of the varieties in the <em>Whitman Encyclopedia of United States Paper Money,</em> which is different from certain other texts, is from modern research by Doug Murray.<p><strong>PCGS Population: </strong>10, none finer.<em>From Heritage Auctions sale of September 2009, lot 15010. </em>
