Friedberg 285. 1878 $10 Silver Certificate of Deposit. PMG Choice Uncirculated 63. The boldly signed countersignature of A.U. Wyman is featured prominently at the bottom center of this incredibly rare "Triple Signature" 1878 $10 Silver Certificate of Deposit. Wyman signed the note as assistant treasurer of the United States before he served as treasurer from April 1, 1883 to April 30, 1885. Just two examples of this catalog number are known to exist and they happen to be consecutive, this serial number A50 example and serial number A51. This variety was payable at the Treasury Office in Washington D.C. Other catalog numbers were payable at the Sub-Treasury Offices in New York and San Francisco. U.S. Secretary of Finance Robert Morris is seen at left while a bold red Treasury Seal is at top center. A red TEN protector is found centered below the seal. This variety features the engraved signatures of Scofield and Gilfillan to the right of Wymans autographed signature. The back is printed in dark brown, almost black, with "SILVER" prominently displayed in an ornamental panel at center. The type is printed on blue tinted security paper.This example is well margined and fully Uncirculated. The engraved design elements are sharply presented in bold inks while the red overprint is brightly colored and free from fading. Wymans signature is accomplished in dark iron colored ink. The grading service mentions "Toning, Minor Ink Burn" on the back of the holder. The toning is present but not distracting, while any such ink burn is a non-issue. The pedigree of this note can be traced back as far as a November 1956 auction where it realized an astounding $1,800! In the time since it has passed through the collections of Louis S. Werner, Andrew Shiva and of course D. Brent Pogue, among others. It has not appeared at auction since 1995. Ironically it has been that long since the serial number A51 example last publicly surfaced. There is a generation of collectors who have not had the opportunity to secure this incredibly rare catalog number and, for that matter, this rare type. It could be decades before one becomes available again.The <em>Whitman Encyclopedia of United States Paper Money </em>gives this general information about the Silver Certificate of Deposit series, a separate series predating the popular Silver Certificate issues:Silver Certificates of Deposit commence with the Series of 1878. These are specifically designated "CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT" on the face, "SILVER CERTIFICATE" on the back. This series depicts Robert Morris, who served as secretary of finance from 1781 to 1784 in the formative years of the Republic. The inscription SILVER DOLLARS is done in a series of vignettes, one for each letter, connected together in a straight row in the "shingle" style.Series of 1878 notes and some of Series of 1880 bear two printed Treasury signatures plus the hand-signed countersignature of another Treasury official. This extra signature proved to be a cumbersome idea, and at least two of these names, Thos. Hillhouse and A.U. Wyman, were soon replaced by their signatures entered into the plate. Early in the Series of 1880 the idea was dropped entirely. All have a large red Treasury seal at top center. On this seal, for this denomination and other countersigned notes in this series, the key faces to the right (with the handle at the left).On the back, the word "SILVER" is in immense letters, obviously pleasing to "Silverites," who were quite prominent in politics at the time, and who exerted great pressure on the government to support the market price of that metal. Dark brown ink was used to print this side on paper with a blue tint streak. <em>From Mayflowers sale of November 1956, lot 1210; Louis S. Werner; Stacks Fixed Price List of January 1989; Currency Auctions of Americas sale of November 1990, lot 1252; Andrew Shiva; Spink Americas sale of May 1995, lot 328. </em>
