Stephen Album Rare Coins

Lot 1559 in this week's Auction 53!

UNITED STATES: Fractional Currency Shield, a standard Gray background shield; one of the finest we have ever handled; in a standard contemporary frame with a gilt inner border, as usually seen; there is none of the usual water staining that plagues Fractional Shields, and no folds, tears, aging, etc., a bit of faint darkening can be seen where the back was exposed to the elements (the original slatted back did not quite cover the entire back of the shield, also as commonly seen); the notes are all bright and clean; the only bit of fading to be found is on the back of the Second Issue 25¢ (we've never seen a bright one on a shield); overall an extraordinarily nice original shield that will likely be unsurpassed by any offered for many years to come!

ex Dr. Robert A. Rosenfeld Collection

ex Coin Galleries Auction, July 13, 1994, Lot 1229 (with original auction catalog)

A fractional currency shield is a 20 in × 25 in (510 mm × 640 mm) printed "shield" on which were placed images of 39 different fractional currency notes. Produced in 1866 and 1867 by the United States Treasury Department, the shields were sold to banks for $4.50 each, for the purpose of having images of genuine notes available for use in detecting counterfeits. The 39 notes were printed from the original plates on one side only, the other side left blank, or with the printed word "specimen".