Fr. 1202 $100 1882 Gold Certificate PMG Very Fine 30.. ...

Click the image to load the highest resolution version.

Sold on Oct 6, 2022 for:

Sign-in or Join (free & quick)

Get one of these:

Share this lot

Track Item Printable Auction Results

Sell One of These

Description

Auction Info

Guides & Info

Description

Unique Hand-Signed Triple Signature 1882 $100 Gold Certificate

Fr. 1202 $100 1882 Gold Certificate PMG Very Fine 30.
The Fr. 1202 $100 Gold with serial number A3386-B in this lot is unique in private hands. The total known population is two, but the other example is in a much lower grade and was transferred from the Treasury Department to the Smithsonian Institution in 1978. Series 1882 Gold Certificates were the first Golds that saw extensive circulation. Only 9,000 Fr. 1202 examples were printed, and only two have survived, making for a survival rate that is downright infinitesimal. However, even this minute survival rate figure is misleading as only our current offering is available for collectors to compete for. The final and most important statistic is that there is only one note available for collectors, while the other 8,999 have been lost either to time and/or the government.

Each note for this Friedberg number is countersigned by the Assistant Treasurer of the United States at New York City Thomas C. Acton. Mr. Acton personally signed all Fr. 1202 Gold Certificates plus the Gold Certificates for six other Friedberg numbers. Why did Acton sign all of these notes? Acton was nominated for the office by President Chester A. Arthur and became Assistant Treasurer of the United States on January 3, 1882. According to a New York Times article dated October 12, 1882, a reporter asked Acting Secretary of the Treasury New if signing the Gold Certificates, "was Mr. Acton's idea to have his name on them?" Acting Secretary New replied with, "Yes." We also learned from the article that the first Gold Certificate delivery to Mr. Acton was on October 3, 1882 and Acton signed 13,000 notes in the first six days, but there was still 103,000 notes to sign across all denominations of the $20 through $10,000. This cruel and unusual punishment of Acton's own making went on for weeks as he signed on average about three notes per minute. The newspaper article concluded with, "Mr. Acton's industry is appreciated at the Treasury, where 1,500 signatures are regarded as a good days work." No wonder when more $20, $50, and $100 Bruce-Gilfillan Gold Certificates were needed, Thomas Acton's countersignature was engraved.

The hand-signed countersignature $100 Gold in this lot is the only example of this denomination that is available in the collector community. It is returning to the auction block after a hiatus of nearly 20 years. It may be that long, if not longer, before there is another chance to win this unique note at auction.
From the Allan H. Goldman Collection

View all of [The Allan H. Goldman Collection ]

View Certification Details from PMG