Arkansas National Bank notes with low back plate numbers
I found an odd block letter combo on the treasury serial number when compared to the back plate number and Fr. number for my Paris, AR The First NB Ch. # (S)11592 PMG 20 $10 1902 PB Fr. 633 SN 2200/U55355 pp B/96 dated Jan. 20, 1920. That BP # could be a 98, but definitely just two digits. The back plate number and U- Block SN seemed way too low for a Fr. 633 plain back. Of my other Eliott | Burke notes, the lowest BP was 651 with an RE Block combo. So I checked my Kelly reference for Arkansas banks that issued 4x$10 sheets and sure enough, Paris was one of a baker's dozen that shunned the $20 that came with the 3x$10-$20 sheets. The key is that serial numbers for sheets of 4-$10s were run separately from sheets of 3x$10-$20 and apparently sheets of backs were similarly lower in number than their heterogeneous counterparts. With less banks issuing the 4X$10s the Block Letter seems to have advanced much more slowly. Notably, the 10-10-10-10 plate combination was introduced for Brown backs and red Seals in 1906. I guess there was demand from those with a dislike of Hugh McCulloch?
To see my competitive set of Arkansas notes (I have three notes on two banks), see:
My other note is a Newark, AR The First NB Ch. # (S)9022 PMG 25 $10 1902 DB Fr. 618 SN 1334/N84247 pp H/51 dated Jan. 25, 1908. BP of 51 is rather low for an Fr. 618 and is indicative of the bank choosing the 4x$10 option (See #12 below).
To see my Series of 1902 Date Backs and Plain Backs that features block letters and BP numbers, check out my signature set here:
You can see the notes in the gallery, but go to set listing to easily see the Block combo vs. BP number.
Below are the Arkansas banks that chose sheets of 4x$10; I didn't find any that issued Brown Backs (or series 1882 DB or VB) in this format--not many issued brown backs period. Surprisingly, of those that did issue brown backs, many issued $50s and $100s only.
- Maxfield 8864 RS DB
- FNB Clarksville 9633 DB PB
- FNB Earle 9324 DB
- American NB of Fort Smith 3634 RS DB PB
- City NB of Fort Smith 10609 DB PB
- City NB of Greenwood 10983 PB of 1st AND 2d title
- Hope NB 8594 RS DB PB
- City NB of Hope 10579 DB PB
- FNB Lake Village 11262 PB
- FNB Marshall 10794 PB
- FNB Morrilton 10434 DB PB
- FNB Newark 9022 RS DB PB
- FNB Paris 11592 PB
*RS=Red Seal, DB=Date Back, PB = Plain Back all series 1902
**Don't worry, I'm not doing this for the rest of the states. Hey PMG, please start tracking and annotating black plates! Just my
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