This lengthy post came about after I spotted the Circus-poster bank title layout of the Scandia proof in a miscellaneous box listed on the Smithsonian website. Naturally, curiosity lead me research the bank. Once I started, I decided that I might as well discuss all three national banks in Republic County.
The First National Bank of Belleville, Kansas Charter # 3386 was organized August 28, 1885. The organizers of this institution issued 4,520 Series 1882 Brown Back $5's before a receiver was appointed to liquidate the bank on December 12, 1890. In 1900, $265 was unredeemed.
In nearby Scandia, Kansas a group of men applied for a national bank charter which was approved on August 28, 1887. The bank's title was the First National Bank of Scandia, Kansas charter number 3779.
The sole denomination issued by the First National Bank of Scandia was Series 1882 five dollar Brown Backs. 1,457 sheets which when separated equalled 5,828 individual bills.
The First National Bank of Scandia moved to the bigger town of Belleville in January 1894. With the new location a new title was required; the one chosen was the National Bank of Belleville.
The buildings formerly occupying this space included the First National Bank of Belleville which burned in 1892. Construction of this building occurred in 1893. Series 1882 Brown Back $5, $10 and $20's were issued using this title. When the Series of 1902 came online, the bankers received and issued Red Seals, Date Backs and Plain Backs.
In 1921, the bankers changed the title to First National Bank in Belleville. Series 1902 Plain Back, Series 1929 Type 1 and Series 1929 Type 2 in ten and twenty dollar denominations were issued. Lyn Knight has handled the sale of several large size notes on this bank while Heritage has only sold small size as of this writing.
Photo courtesy of Lyn Knight The third and final bank chartered in Republic County was the Peoples National Bank of Belleville organized August 7, 1909 with $40,000 in capital. Tens and twenties were issued by this bank beginning with Series 1902 Date Backs and concluding with Series 1929 Type 2.
Lyn Knight has been the only auction house to handle notes on this issuer the last of which occurred in 2013. A type 1 $10 sold for ~$115 earlier this month on
ebay.
A picture of the Peoples National Bank of Belleville, Kansas is below
I hope you enjoyed reading about these banks as I enjoyed writing about them. Please feel free to offer constructive criticism if there are aspects you think would make future posts better. -MV
Sources:
Comptroller of the Currency Annual Report, various years
http://bellevillemainstreet.blogspo...history.htmlNational Museum of American History, Plate Proofs
Posted 11/20/2016 5:01 pm
