The Bank Note History Project

As part of its educational mission to promote the study and appreciation of paper money and related financial history, the Society of Paper Money Collectors (spmc.org) is sponsoring the Bank Note History Project.

 

The purpose of the Bank Note History Project is to stimulate research and help organize historical information related to U.S. bank notes that were issued during the National Bank Note Era (1863-1935) and Obsolete Bank Note Era (1782-1866). This project is focused on two of the primary historical aspects of these 'Hometown' bank notes: The Banks that issued them, and the Bankers who signed them.

 

The Bank Note History Project consists of 2 online components: The Banks & Bankers Database and the Bank Note History Wiki.

 

The Banks & Bankers Database is a structured, searchable database with historical data on all 14,348 National Banks that were chartered between 1863 and 1935. It also includes all of the Presidents & Cashiers listed in the OCC reports from 1867-1935, as well as many other potential bank note signers (VPs & Asst Cashiers) based on data from Bankers Directories, etc. Many Obsolete Banks and Bankers from 1782-1866 are also available with more being added over time. A Search website provides an easy-to-use  interface into the data with links to the Bank Note History Wiki (as well as other online sources) to make that historical information for Banks and Bankers easily available. The search website requires SPMC membership to access the database.

 

The Bank Note History Wiki is a crowd-sourced, searchable content website (very similar to Wikipedia) for creating and organizing historical information on the National and Obsolete Banks & Bankers from 1782-1935. This is a Public/Open access Wiki, so anyone can View the information. Users who have set up an account on the wiki website (with a confirmed email address) are allowed to Add new pages or Edit existing wiki pages. The Bank Note History Wiki is primarily focused on two topics: Bank Histories and Banker Biographies. Featured Bank Notes illustrate this by providing a link to the issuing Bank's History page, as well as links to the Bio pages for the signing Bank Officers. A Bank Note History Home page can also be setup for each State, focusing on the Banks, Bankers and Banking History of that State.

 

Visit the Bank Note History Project now to see who signed your bank notes!