Series 1902 National Bank Notes W/Red Seals - Why Don't The Serial Numbers Match?

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Author	Replies: 5 / Views: 614
barryg Pillar of the Community United States 5838 Posts	Posted 07/26/2025 4:14 pm All right, so I just started collecting Series 1902 National Bank Notes and so far I have a blue and red seal $5 note, a blue and red seal $10 note and a blue $20. As I was getting them all photographed and writing descriptions for my online currency album, however, I noticed something strange with the serial numbers. Each of the blue seal notes have matching serial numbers in the lower-left and upper-right corners: Both of the red seals, however, have serial numbers that do not match: Also, the serial numbers in the upper-right corner are more complex than those in the lower-left corner. Does anybody have any idea why this is? At first I thought I had an error note, but the odds of me picking up two error notes with the same sort of error are pretty slim, so I have to assume there is some reason for this. Expanded Digital U.S. Type Set Album \| Dansco 8100 (Lincon Cents) Album \| Digital Proof Type Set \| Digital U.S. Currency Type Set \| Foreign Bullion Coins Report this Post to the Staff

Marv65 Bedrock of the Community United States 10484 Posts	Posted 07/26/2025 5:55 pm From the CCF SEARCH box: https://goccf.com/t/421607 "The lower left serial number is the Charter Bank serial number and the upper right serial number is the Federal (Treasury) serial number." Report this Post to the Staff
westcoin Pillar of the Community United States 9792 Posts	Posted 07/26/2025 6:07 pm There is a decent site to help explain all of the US Currency issues: https://banknotehistory.spmc.org/wi...k_Note_Types The changes were to mainly reduce counterfeits and aid in the Secret Service ferreting them out of circulation. That was the reason for the changes at the time. The Red Seals of 1902 are the most desirable notes to have as they are the rarest with only around 5% of all the various 1902 series notes printed. "Buy the Book Before You Buy the Coin" - Aaron R. Feldman - "And read it" - Me 2013! ANA Life Member #3288 in good standing since 1981, ANS, Early American Coppers Member (EAC), Colonial Coin Collectors Club member (C4), Conder Token Collector Club member (CTCC), Civil War Token Society (CWTS) member, Liberty Seated Collectors Club (LSCC) & Numismatic Bibliomania Society member (NBS), USMex, Member in good standing, 2¢ variety collector. See my want page: http://goccf.com/t/140440 Edited by westcoin 07/26/2025 6:09 pm Report this Post to the Staff
barryg Pillar of the Community United States 5838 Posts	Posted 07/26/2025 6:35 pm Thanks, guys! I was actually wondering if one number was from the bank and the other from the Treasury, but (a) I've never heard of this before and (b) it didn't make any sense that this would only be on the red seals and not the blue seals. And yes, at next year's show I will definitely be on the hunt for a $20 red seal! Expanded Digital U.S. Type Set Album \| Dansco 8100 (Lincon Cents) Album \| Digital Proof Type Set \| Digital U.S. Currency Type Set \| Foreign Bullion Coins Report this Post to the Staff
barryg Pillar of the Community United States 5838 Posts	Posted 07/27/2025 10:10 am @Westcoin: The site you linked to was very informative! In particular, I found the following information: Quote: Treasury Serial numbers (with a letter prefix and suffix) were overprinted on all National Bank Notes from the beginning in 1863, and were used for accounting and security purposes. These numbers were printed in the upper right corner, and were Sheet Numbers, so each note on the sheet had the same Treasury Serial number. On August 22, 1925, the printing of Treasury Serial numbers was discontinued and replaced with duplicate Bank Serial numbers. These printing changes resulted in three varieties of 1902 Plain Backs: 1915 - March 4, 1924: With Geographical letter, With Treasury Serial number. March 5, 1924 - August 22, 1925: Without Geographical letter, With Treasury Serial number. August 23, 1925 - 1929: Without Geographical letter, Without Treasury Serial number. According to this, then, the reason my blue seal notes do not have a separate treasury number is because they were printed after August 23, 1925. I had no idea that the series 1902 notes were still being printed that late. Expanded Digital U.S. Type Set Album \| Dansco 8100 (Lincon Cents) Album \| Digital Proof Type Set \| Digital U.S. Currency Type Set \| Foreign Bullion Coins Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 187702 Posts	Posted 07/28/2025 09:52 am Very interesting! Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
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