pre-Civil War currency

The First and Second Banks of the United States: Banknotes Before National Currency

June 15, 2026 by

Long before the greenback existed, two powerful federal banks issued paper money that shaped a young nation’s economy and left behind some of the rarest collectible notes in American numismatics. Understanding these early issues unlocks a forgotten chapter of US currency history that every serious collector should know.

The Treasury Department Fire of 1833: How Andrew Jackson’s Currency Archives Were Destroyed and What Was Lost

June 15, 2026 by

On the night of March 31, 1833, a fire gutted the Treasury Department building in Washington, D.C., destroying irreplaceable records, printing plates, and currency archives from the early republic. For collectors of early American paper money, this disaster explains why certain notes from the 1810s and 1820s exist without official documentation and why some of the most significant numismatic mysteries of the era may never be solved.