Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. $100 1882 Brown Back. Friedberg 522. The Market Street NB. Charter #3684. PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ. PMG has graded just four $100 Brown Backs at the Gem grade level with two 65 EPQs and two 66 EPQs reported in their population report. The vividly printed and exceptionally well margined example offered here comes from a long standing Philadelphia bank. The Market Street National Bank was chartered in April of 1887 and it issued more than $12.4 million worth of notes into circulation through the end of the note issuing era in 1935. They issued 2,400 sheets of $50-$100 1882 Brown Back pairs with six such $100s reported to remain from the bank. The detailed vignette of the "Battle of Lake Erie" at left is quite inspiring with nice definition of Liberty seated at right. A sharply detailed brown scalloped Treasury Seal is to the right of center with the charter number just above it. Brown regional sort letter E is to the lower left and upper right. This variety bears the engraved signatures of Treasury officials Rosecrans and Jordan. Machine printed bank officers signatures are found at bottom left and right. The back is masterfully executed in brown with denominational counters in the corners, the state seal at left and an eagle with shield at right. Charter number 3684 is overprinted at center in vibrant blue-green ink. This is an incredible representation of this challenging National Currency type, one rarely seen or offered in high grade. This should be a strongly contested offering when it crosses the block.
