Friedberg 247. 1896 $2 Silver Certificate. PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ. Courtesy Autograph. The neatly penned courtesy autograph of United States Treasurer Daniel Nash Morgan graces the center of this fabulous serial number 107 $2 Educational note. Morgan, whose signature is vertically oriented, added the inscription "Treas. U.S. 1893-1897" below his autograph. The note itself is truly splendid, displaying four boardwalk margins, boldly colored overprints and a vividly printed plate impression. The "Educational" $2 note offers an exceptionally beautiful design. The face features the thoughtfully executed vignette, <em>Science Presenting Steam and Electricity to Commerce and Manufacture, </em>an allegorical scene in the finest traditional style - emblematic of the waning years of Victorian art and expression, perhaps with a hint of the Art Nouveau style introduced in Europe by Alphonse Mucha and popularized by Champenois, Paris printer of postcards and posters. The vignette underwent several developmental design modifications before this final version was adopted, including a change from the originally submitted design for the $50 denomination that was never issued. This did not please the designer, Edwin Blashfield, who complained in writing to engraver G.F.C. Smillie in April 1895, "In regard to changing [the] denomination of my fifty, please tell Mr. Johnson [Claude Johnson, Director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, who had made the decision to change the denomination] that in addition to my other reasons given before and which are the same today as then, I also object distinctly on artistic grounds to the change from fifty to a two. You can easily see that the 50 is an important compositional factor in the building up of my design…the result of such a change would be that from a design which is my work and which I endorse as the best I was able to do at the time, it would become a design not mine compositionally and which I could not endorse."<br style="box-sizing:border-box;color:#333333;font-family:Avenir, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;background-color:#ffffff;" /><br style="box-sizing:border-box;color:#333333;font-family:Avenir, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:14px;background-color:#ffffff;" />In keeping with the educational theme, the back of the note features engravings of Robert Fulton and Samuel F.B. Morse, both remembered for their important contributions to science and technology.Prior to entering the D. Brent Pogue Collection this impeccable note passed through two other legendary United States currency collections, first the famed collection of Albert A. Grinnell then later that of Aubrey Bebee. The grading service has added "& Embossing" to the end of their EPQ qualifier attesting to the unabashed originality of this great note.
