Stack’s Bowers Galleries will present a wide array of paper-money rarities during three U.S. currency sessions of its Spring 2026 Global Showcase Auction, scheduled for March 12.
The sessions will take place at Griffin Studios at the firm’s headquarters in Costa Mesa, California, with online bidding available through StacksBowers.com.
Session 5 Highlights Colonial, Fractional and Obsolete Notes
Session 5 will feature a broad mix of collectible currency, including Colonial and Continental issues, Fractional currency, and Obsolete notes. Among the highlights are pieces from the Caine Collection of obsolete bank notes.
Notable items include a $3 Proof impression from the Bank of Austin (Lot 5120) and an issued note from the Bank of Germantown (Lot 5196) bearing the "White Bear" vignette engraved by DeWitt Clinton Hay after artwork by Felix O.C. Darley.
Also featured is a $5 note from the Kirtland Safety Society Bank (Lot 5184), originally issued in Ohio and later countersigned and reissued in Utah during the late 1840s.
Session 6 Offers National Bank Notes from the Clearwater Collection
Session 6 centers on National Bank Notes and type notes, including selections from the Clearwater Collection of New Jersey National Bank Notes.
Among the featured pieces is a Type 2 $5 National Bank Note issued by the National Bank of Palisades Park (Charter No. 14088) during the early 1930s (Lot 6073). According to Stack’s Bowers, the note is unique for the issuing charter and has never previously appeared at public auction.
Additional notes from seldom-seen Bergen County charters, including banks in Lodi and Tenafly, will also be offered.
Session 7 Headlined by the Manhattan Beach Collection
Session 7 forms the core of the firm’s Rarities Night offerings and is anchored by selections from the Manhattan Beach Collection.
Leading the session is the finest known replacement $1 Legal Tender Note from the Series of 1928 (Lot 7001), a type largely distributed in Puerto Rico during the late 1940s.
Another highlight is a Serial Number 1 replacement $100 Federal Reserve Note (Lot 7028), previously part of the John Whitney Walter Collection sold in 2004.
The Manhattan Beach Collection also includes several rare World War II–era emergency issues and gold certificates. Among them is a replacement $20 Hawaii Emergency Note (Lot 7048), described as the finest example graded by PMG.
Rounding out the offerings is a replacement $100 Gold Certificate from the Series of 1928 (Lot 7057), the only example of its Friedberg number at its grade level to receive the EPQ designation and one that is technically unsurpassed across the major grading services.
Additional highlights from Session 7 include:
- Lot 7009: Fr. 1609*. 1935A $1 Silver Certificate Star Note. (R) Experimental. PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ.
- Lot 7012: Fr. 1700. 1933 $10 Silver Certificate. PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ.
- Lot 7018: Fr. 1890-G*. 1929 $100 Federal Reserve Bank Star Note. Chicago. PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ.
- Lot 7032: Fr. 2201-Gdgs*. 1934 Dark Green Seal $500 Federal Reserve Star Note. Chicago. PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 EPQ.
- Lot 7041: Fr. 2211-Cdgsm*. 1934 Dark Green Seal $1000 Federal Reserve Star Note. Mule. Philadelphia. PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ.
- Lot 7056: Fr. 2404*. 1928 $50 Gold Certificate Star Note. PMG Choice Uncirculated 63 EPQ.
- Lot 7058: Fr. 2407. 1928 $500 Gold Certificate. PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ.
- Lot 7059: Fr. 2408. 1928 $1000 Gold Certificate. PMG Choice Uncirculated 63 EPQ.
The full Spring 2026 Global Showcase Auction is available for viewing and pre-sale bidding at StacksBowers.com.
