Orlando, Florida. $5 1882 Brown Back. Fr. 469. The First NB. Charter #3469. PMG Very Fine 30. Serial Number 1.We are of course dealing with a very rare banknote here. Its rarity, stats, and figures can be admired and discussed at length by the swarm of collectors who will be interested in this piece of Orlando history. However, first lets consider the historical context in which it was issued. The banknote is dated as March 16th 1886. That date is only eleven years after the city of Orlando was founded with an original population of just 85 people. In 1838, less than fifty years before this banknote was issued, the future Orlando area consisted of little more than a few settlers, whose daily life mostly consisted of trying to avoid attacks during the height of the Seminole Wars. And perhaps most amazingly, 1886 was 85 years before Disney World opened in Orlando on October 1st 1971! This banknote was issued in a time when an architect could leave New Hampshire, travel 1,400 miles by boat or train to an undeveloped swamp, and surface a few years later as an orange grove magnate and bank president. We are of course talking about the signor of this banknote, Charles Joy. This note has been passed down through the Joy family and is now consigned by the fourth generation. Point being, this isnt just another piece of paper. This is the oldest and first issued national banknote meant for circulation in Central Florida. When Mr. Joy secreted this keepsake away, the closest other national bank was over 100 miles North in Palatka and there wasnt a single national bank further South in all of Florida.<p>This is just the fifth banknote reported to have survived from The First National Bank of Orlando. The other four are all $5 brown backs. That is the only type and denomination the bank issued before it failed in November of 1895. One of those generic serial number notes listed with a grade of Fine sold for $5,060 in 1998. That was a significant amount of money in that market. To date, that is the only sold auction result for any banknote from The First National Bank of Orlando. Much more could be said about the rarity of Florida brown backs and Orlando notes in general. However, the historical significance as it relates to the early history of Florida, combined with the striking eye appeal of a PMG 30, is much more important than a detailed accounting of survival metrics. This note is offered with a low estimate and it will be sold to the highest bidder. The next chance to add a true Florida trophy could be many more years away after tonights offering.<p>
