Fr. 63a (W-637). 1863 $5 Legal Tender Note. PCGS Superb Gem New 67 PPQ.

Fr. 63a (W-637). 1863 $5 Legal Tender Note. PCGS Superb Gem New 67 PPQ.，Well-centered high-grade 1863 $5 Legal Tender notes are incredibly hard to locate. They often have skewed top to bottom centering that limits them to the Choice Uncirculated or lower grades. The presently offered piece is a welcome exception, perfectly framed and exceptionally well printed. The green and red overprints have bold color while the second obligation back printing is ideally centered and sharply inked. PCGS has graded just three examples at this grade level with one finer.<p><p><p><strong>$5 Legal Tender Notes, Series of 1863</strong><strong><em></em></strong><p><em></em>As $5 Demand Notes are rarities, the earliest readily collectible $5 bills are the Legal Tender Notes of the Series of 1862 and, as here, 1863. These were produced in quantity and most in the marketplace today are well circulated.<p>The face motifs are the same as used on the $5 Demand Notes. To the left is the statue <em>Freedom </em>created by Thomas Crawford and placed atop the Capitol in 1863, where it remains an icon today. To the right is a portrait of Alexander Hamilton by Archibald Robertson (which is quite unlike the "popular" portrait of Hamilton as seen on many other notes).<p>The face, back, and tint plates for the $5 Series of 1862 and 1863 Legal Tender Notes were engraved by the American Bank Note Company. Printing was shared by both the American and National Bank Note companies for the Second Obligation notes, as here. The Treasury signatures of Chittenden and Spinner were printed on the face by using a separate plate and a special ink. Spinners dramatic signature has been discussed in numismatic print many times and is more distinctive than any other.<p>Printed on the plate for F-63a (W-637) is<em>: </em>Act of March 3d 1863 / March 10th 1863/ One serial number. Second Obligation back. New Series 65 to 75. 1,000,000 were printed. An estimated 200 or so exist today, mostly in lower grades.，From the Joel R. Anderson Collection of United States Paper Money, Part I. Earlier from Bowers and Merenas sale of June 1997, lot 17; Stanley Morycz April 1998 Fixed Price List; Stanley Morycz October 1998 Fixed Price List; Lyn Knights sale of October 2000, lot 571; Jay Parrino February 2002 Fixed Price list; Goldbergs sale of February 2006, lot 3140; Stacks Bowers Galleries sale of August 2011, lot 5451.<p>，