Fr. 127. 1869 $20 Legal Tender Note. PMG Extremely Fine 40.Beautiful red and blue hues are displayed by this broadly margined and modestly circulated 1869 $20 "Rainbow" note. This scarce type note features the side profile of Alexander Hamilton (facing right) at left. Standing at right is the goddess Liberty, holding a shield aloft in her right arm and a walking stick in her right. She wears a helmet adorned with an eagle on top. The allegorical image is based on a drawing by John W. Casilear who earlier was a partner in the banknote printing firm Toppan, Carpenter, Casilear & Co. A large reddish-pink spiked Treasury Seal is just to the left of center, while like colored serial number panels are to the bottom left and top right. The engraved signatures of Treasury officials Allison and Spinner are found along the bottom edge of the design. This type comes on paper with a blue tinted security streak based on Wilcoxs 1866 patent. The back is boldly printed in green and is geometric in appearance. The Legal Tender clause and anti-counterfeiting language appear within a circular frame at center, flanked by a large Roman numeral XX at left and 20 at right. Series of 1869 notes were issued from October 19, 1869 to July 25, 1874 and 3,648,000 notes of the $20 denomination were printed.This note possesses exceptional eye appeal for a circulated note. The paper is wholesome and free of any impairments. Any collector seeking a circulated example to fill a hole in their collection should be pleased to secure this note.From the Karelian Collection.
