Fr. 64. 1869 $5 Legal Tender Note. PCGS Banknote Gem Uncirculated 66 PPQ. A beautiful Gem example of this 1869 $5, which proudly sits atop PCGS Banknotes population report. This was also the first series to feature the vignette Pioneer or Pioneer Family, for which this style is generally named (though it is often referred to as a "woodchopper" note by some collectors). The central vignette was engraved by Henry Gugler and thematically it embodied the spirit of the "Westward course of Empire" movement, something very much on the minds of many Americans at the time. This type represents the first appearance of Andrew Jackson on federal currency, and this portrait style remains in use today with modifications. The image was engraved by Alfred Sealey after Thomas Sullys original 1845 painting. The original painting is owned by the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., and was gifted to the institution by Andrew W. Mellon, one-time Treasury secretary. PCGS Banknote Pop 1/None Finer.
