Heritage Offers a Dozen PMG-certified Notes Expected to Sell for Six Figures

Heritage Auctions is offering over 1,400 notes that are certified by Paper Money Guaranty® (PMG®), including 12 that are expected to sell for at least $100,000. Online bidding is underway for the FUN Currency Signature Auction #3591, which will be held January 11-13, 2023.

The first piece is a stunning 1880 $1,000 Legal Tender graded PMG 35 Choice Very Fine (lot 21469), which has an estimate of at least $250,000. This high-denomination note features a vignette of Columbus in His Study as well as New York Governor DeWitt Clinton’s portrait. Today, there are 14 known serial numbers for this Friedberg number, according to the auction house, and only seven have been seen at auction in the last 25 years. This example is tied for the highest-graded among eight examples in the PMG Population Report.

The sale also includes an extremely rare First National Gold Bank, San Francisco 1870 $100 graded PMG 12 Fine (lot 20273), with an estimate of at least $200,000. In the late 19th century, such notes were issued by nine national gold banks in California. Higher denominations are rare, and only nine examples of $100 notes are known to still exist across all banks, according to the auction house. The six examples that PMG has certified of $100 Large Size National Gold Banknotes are all graded PMG 20 Very Fine or lower.

Meanwhile, an 1878 $10 Silver Certificate - New York graded PMG 30 Very Fine (lot 21496) also has an estimate of at least $200,000. This is one of only four reported examples with the extremely rare triple signature, including a J.C. Hopper countersignature. It is the finer example of the two examples in the PMG Population Report.

Additionally, Heritage is offering an 1863 $100 Legal Tender graded PMG 53 About Uncirculated (lot 21460), which has an estimate of at least $175,000. There are only 23 known serial numbers for this note, according to the auction house, and five of those are in museum collections.

Finally, the event showcases a very rare 1878 $500 Legal Tender graded PMG 25 Very Fine (lot 21468), with an estimate of at least $150,000. This particular example of this note was last on the market nearly 20 years ago. PMG has certified a mere two notes, both in the same grade.

Other PMG-certified highlights from the auction include:

• a First National Gold Bank, San Francisco 1870 $50 graded PMG 10 Very Good (lot 20272) with an estimate of at least $150,000
• an 1882 $1,000 Gold Certificate graded PMG 25 Very Fine (lot 21563) with an estimate of at least $150,000
• an 1890 $100 Treasury Note graded PMG 30 Very Fine (lot 21529) with an estimate of at least $150,000
• a Walla Walla, Territory of Washington 1875 $5 National Bank Note graded PMG 30 Very Fine EPQ (lot 20978) with an estimate of at least $125,000
• an 1891 $100 Treasury Note graded PMG 25 Very Fine (lot 21530) with an estimate of at least $125,000
• a 1934 $5,000 Federal Reserve Note – St. Louis graded PMG 53 About Uncirculated (lot 21606) with an estimate of at least $125,000
• a San Juan, Island of Porto Rico 1902 $10 National Bank Note graded PMG 12 Fine (lot 20805) with an estimate of at least $100,000
• a Union National Gold Bank, Oakland 1875 $10 PMG 12 Fine NET (lot 20262) with an estimate of at least $80,000
• a First National Gold Bank, San Francisco 1875 $20 graded PMG 20 Very Fine (lot 20271) with an estimate of at least $75,000
• a Dayton, Ohio 1882 $50 National Bank Note graded PMG 15 Choice Fine (lot 20670) with an estimate of at least $75,000
• a Salt Lake City, Utah Territory $2 National Bank Note with Serial Number 1 graded PMG 15 Choice Fine NET (lot 20914) with an estimate of at least $75,000
• an 1861 $20 Demand Note - Philadelphia graded PMG 25 Very Fine NET (lot 21417) with an estimate of at least $75,000
• an 1891 $50 Treasury Note graded PMG 20 Very Fine (lot 21528) with an estimate of at least $75,000
• an 1882 $100 Gold Certificate graded PMG 20 Very Fine (lot 21557) with an estimate of at least $75,000

Estimates are provided by the auction house.