Since I cannot remember the last time I wrote about a national banknote, I'm feeling well and simply have a desire to write about something.
The earliest First National Bank of Trenton, Missouri was organized on January 23, 1872. I use the term earliest as a second bank would use the same title a little over a decade after this one ceased operating as a national bank.
$50,000 worth of stock was sold. $26,000 was held by William Bradley. Robert Carnes and George Moberly each had $8,000. James Carnes held $2,000. James Austin, A. D. Mullin, Stephen Peery, Henry Wharton, J. H. Foulks, and J. A. Webster each held $1,000 in bank stock.
A notice in the May 2, 1872
Grand River Republican announced that the bank's application for a charter was approved on April 22nd. I've uploaded a picture below.
Long serving officers were President William Bradley Vice-President and George Moberly. Robert Carnes was the Cashier until his death in 1874. Hugh S. Carnes served as the cashier from 1874 to sometime in 1876.
May 1876 newspaper ad lists George Gilmore as Cashier. On June 22, 1876 the stockholders voted to voluntarily liquidate. William Bradley took his share and moved to Iowa.
The Smithsonian has a proof 5-5-5-5 sheet in its holdings. The plates were originally engraved by the Continental Bank Note Company in New York which held a government contract to print currency. In 1875, the BEP became the sole currency printer. The banknote companies turned the printing plates they had on hand over to the BEP.
This 5-5-5-5 plate was used to print 2,000 sheets of Original Series fives. Later it was used to print 400 sheets which were then oveprinted with the serial numbers, charter numbers, the Treasury seal and the words "Series 1875".
The bank ordered 400 Original Series 10-10-10-20 sheets. There is no proof sheet in Missouri Box 1. Whether one existed remains to be determined.
Of the $68,000 circulated by this institution, the Kelly census lists a single Original Series $5. Twenty five years after closing its doors, $365 remained unredeemed.
Moberly and Gilmore became officers in the Union Bank located in Trenton according to an 1881 history book. How long this succeeding bank operated after 1881 is unknown to me at this point.
Wrapping this up, I've enjoyed sharing this information and hope to shed light on other national banks in the future.
-MV
Posted 04/09/2018 08:47 am
