Fr. 1218d $1,000 1882 Brown Seal Gold Certificate "Unique $1,000 Brown" Finest Known For Design Type

---

Large Size Type Notes > Gold Certificates

---

---

Fr. 1218d $1,000 1882
Grade: AU    

---

There have only been two other public offerings of this incredible "$1,000 BROWN GOLD CERTIFICATE" that is unique in private hands, and we seriously doubt either the Treasury Department or the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco will be sellers any time soon. This note was authorized under the Act of July 12, 1882, which authorized and directed the Secretary of the Treasury to receive deposits of gold coin, in denominations of not less than $20 each, corresponding to the value of the United States notes. The coin deposited for the certificates was required to be retained for payment of same on demand and it authorized the gold certificates, and also silver certificates, to be counted as authorized reserves of national banks. When catalogued by Len Glazer for CAA's January 8, 2000 sale he described the quality with more praise than I know. His description follows: "Off the market since its last appearance in the Grinnell sale of 1945, this is the most stunningly beautiful, rarest and most significant note we have ever had the privilege of handling. There are 22 known examples of 1882 thousands, fully half of which are permanently impounded in the Smithsonian or the collections of various Federal Reserve banks. All known examples of 1218a, b and c are permanently impounded in government hands. Fr. 1218d, signed by Rosecrans and Huston and having the large brown seal, is represented by three known examples, a Fine in the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, a Very Fine transferred by the Treasury Department to the Smithsonian Institution in 1978 and this note, a magnificent Gem -appearing About New. More significant perhaps than its uniqueness as the only example of its seal and signatures in collectors' hands is the fact that it is the highest-grade 1882 thousand in or out of a museum. The note is beautifully margined, perfectly bright and replete with all the color and sharpness that it had the moment it was printed over a hundred years ago. Apart from its uniqueness in collectors' hands, this note has an intangible that is of utmost importance and missing from almost all other high-end rarities: incredible eye appeal. It is 100% perfectly clean and astonishingly beautiful, with the look of a Superb Gem. All four ink colors on the face are glowingly bright, and the perfectly centered, bright orange back is without a touch of toning, fading or weak printing. After tonight, this incredible note will be where it deserves to be. It will become the most significant item in the collection of whichever individual is most intent on forming the finest holding of U.S. currency ever compiled." According to the Comprehensive Catalog of U.S. Paper Money by Gene Hessler, only 8,000 notes were printed and the rare small red seal has 12 times the printing for the Lyons-Roberts signatures. Very few notes have the distinction of having been the world auction record holder for U.S. currency, but this one held the record for over five years. It certainly has the opportunity to reclaim its title when the hammer falls.

---