3224a

Introduction & Background for the Salt Lake National Bank Currency

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:2.00 - 3.00 USD
Introduction & Background for the Salt Lake National Bank Currency
SHIPPING & HANDLING: Shipping and Handling cannot be estimated prior to invoicing, based on the size and weight of your purchase. All shipping is subject to a minimum charge of $19.00. If additional shipping and handling costs are required, the buyer will be reinvoiced for the balance due. Items are not shipped until the invoice is completely paid. Many buyers purchase a number of lots. Every effort will be made to include all lots in a single shipping charge calculated to cover the weight
(Do Not Bid)

An Introduction to the Salt Lake National Bank Currency

Holabird Americana was chosen to represent the owner of a spectacular discovery of Salt Lake City National Bank of Utah notes form the 1870’s. The group was kept intact for 140 years. The group of notes consists of a number of notes in two denominations. There are several consecutively numbered notes in sequence that will be offered in groups, retaining the ordered serial number sequences.

The Salt Lake City National Bank was incorporated in 1872 (Charter #1921), according to Kelly, with a reported paid in capital of $100,000. Banker B.M. DuRell of Idaho was one of the founders. (Currency collectors know his early bank notes from Idaho).

Five denominations were reported in Kelly ($1,2,5,10,20), and Nyholm lists five varieties ($1,2,3,5,10), less the $20. Serial number ranges for the $1 are up to 4120, up to 2750 for the $5. The $10 and $20 to 500. The 1874 note series was followed by another “series of 1875”, though no notes are known for this series or shown in Rust or Nyholm. The bank went bankrupt in February, 1876, though these notes remained alive, funded by the RR company.

Kelly reports that in 1910, $744 still outstanding. The notes are “RV5” in Rust (very rare.) The notes do not indicate they were payable in “specie”, as reported by one source.

The notes appear to be scrip issued by the Salt Lake National Bank of Utah for the Bingham Canyon and Camp Floyd RR Co., incorporated January 15, 1874. They are clearly a circulating currency for the railroad and possibly for the mines served by the railroad (Scofield may have owned important mines at each location), which in 1874 were in isolated locations – Scofield and Bingham Canyon, far from Salt Lake City, and probably in need of circulating currency.

The notes are signed by C. W. Scofield as President and William B. Welles as Treasurer of the Bingham Canyon and Camp Floyd RR (not the bank).

Scofield, Utah is one of the richest coal fields of Utah. It is located on the Clear Creek or Pleasant Valley branch of the Denver and Rio Grande RR. It was named after C.W. Scofield.

Charles Wardell Scofield (1835-1913) was a New York financier who was very successful in mining, and to further his mine interests, began and invested in there of Utah’s firsts railroads. The Bingham Canyon-Camp Floyd RR was the first of his three railroad enterprises. The rail company may have had its origin as early as 1871. Scofield bought into the line in July, 1873, and by October 25 had become the official owner. The line ran the coal mined at Scofield to the smelters at Bingham and more central points. It was very successful. In April, 1879, Scofield combined the Bingham Canyon and Camp Floyd RR with his Wasatch and Jordan Valley Railroad, changing the name of the entire line to the latter. A few years later, he sold his interests to William Palmer, associated with the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. The original line of these notes was ultimately taken over by the Denver & Rio Grande and became the main line between Midvale and Bingham.