Important Titled Whaling Bank
New London, Connecticut. $2 Original. Fr. 387a. National Whaling Bank. Charter #978. PMG Very Fine 20.
Carrying a title that utterly screams Connecticut, this attractive "Lazy Deuce" issued by the National Whaling Bank of New London calls back to a time when New London was one of the preeminent whaling ports in the United States alongside Nantucket and New Bedford, a distinction which brought much wealth and importance to New London. As for the note itself which stands representative of one of the most iconic notes ever put to print, the individual elements that have cultivated the popularity of this design stand in a degree of clarity and eye appeal unmatched by most circulated examples. From the vignette of a female figure entitled Stars and Strips, a scene of a coastal city not that much unlike New London or any coastal community in New England accounts for the background of this most patriotic and American scene. A horizontal numerical "2" can be found to the right of the vignette in a composition unique on Federal issues, but one with aesthetic precedent on the state-chartered notes of the previous generation. Signatures from Cashier Joseph C. Douglass and President Sebastian Duffy Lawrence cut an imposing figure against the honestly circulated paper and the tapestry of intricate design elements that compose this iconic design in what is effectively a monument to the honesty and eye appeal of this piece of numismatic Americana. On the back, a fanciful vignette depicting Sir Walter Raleigh's introduction of tobacco to England, Raleigh is seen in company with a number of English aristocrats while his servant reacts with stupefied fear erroneously believing Raleigh to be on fire and dropping his tray in the process. At opposites ends, a vignette of the Connecticut State Seal can be seen at left while a generic Bald Eagle with a shield in the background representing the United States is seen at right. Indeed a superb representative of an iconic note and one that speaks to the economic realities of the city in which it was issued, a spirited bidding process is all but assured for this lot.

Estimate: $6000.00- $8000.00