Fr. 164. 1880 $50 Legal Tender Note. PMG Extremely Fine 40.

A Conditional Rarity Among Surviving $50 Legal Tender Notes Fr. 164. 1880 $50 Legal Tender Note. PMG Extremely Fine 40. A prolific Friedberg Number that lists over 250 survivors per Track & Price, but one where comparable examples are few and far between as most survivors fall within the range of Fine to Very Fine with regards to the grade assigned. Grade level aside, this particular entry stands as the final entry in a long line of $50 Legal Tender which trace the same design back to the 1870s when Franklin replaced Henry Clay when the Series of 1874 was introduced after the preceding series had proved susceptible to well-made counterfeits. Here Franklin's portrait is seen at left in a composition adapted from the Duplessis portrait while an Amazonian female figure dubbed America appears ready for battle at right along with a denomination counter seen at center above the Treasury signatures which are seen just above the engraved fringe of the bottom margin. In short, this is a striking design even compared to its contemporaries as most individuals in the early 1900s likely never saw a $50 Legal Tender Note in commercial channels while only bank employees or the wealthy handled these with some regularity in a distinction that mirrors the relative infrequency a collector will have in having the opportunity to handle an example at this grade level. Held together with the conditional distribution of most survivors, bidders have little to doubt that this is indeed a rare opportunity and a rarity among surviving $50 Legal Tender Notes regardless of series or signature combination. Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000. Click here for certification details from PMG.

Estimate:$4,800

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