The very first 2 dollar banknote

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Well, I knew it had to happen one day : along my way of browsing the websites of auction houses, I begin to have preferences.

In terms of coins and banknotes, my favorite is Heritage Auction Galleries. This house is one of the few to make direct links between the press release and the lot itself in the catalogue. Bonhams also does it sometimes, but Heritage seems to be the only one to do systematically so.

Here, not only Heritage explains very clearly the exceptional nature of this note, but it also tells us what arguments lead to an estimate of 125 K $. The sale takes place from 17 to 19 September in Long Beach.

Quite simply, this is the first $ 2 note that was printed by the American government. It was in 1862. It has the serial number "1".

It was immediately circulated, and it is visible today that it was used, while the number "1" of the first $ 1 note (same date) had been originally kept by the government. The first banknotes of higher values had been printed the previous year.

Now Heritage tells us the reference for the estimated price : a $ 10 note bearing also the number "1", but of a much later issue (1901) was sold this year at 80.5 K $.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Heritage Auction Galleries had described two lots in dedicated press releases. I had mentioned both in my weekly preview, but for this article I had not made the best choice.

The first $ 2 note has not found a buyer at auction. It is now proposed for sale at fixed price, corresponding to its starting price, $ 71 875 inclusive.

The sale of the rare Canadian banknote has been successful: 320 K $ including fees. It is a 1911 "Queen Mary" of $ 500, of which there are only two other examples in private hands. It is so rare that it is not even included in the official collection of the Bank of Canada.