District of Columbia Banknote Guide

In the early to mid 1800s, many banks, companies, merchants, and jurisdictions (states, counties, cities, and towns) issued their own currency. These notes are now obsolete but have considerable historical value. Most obsolete currency sports gorgeous designs, vignettes, and colors, and the sector has a very strong collector base.

Obsolete Currency Issuer (City)	Denom	Year	Description	58	63	65	66	67	Reference (a)

American Colonization Society (Monrovia)	1	18xx	proof; seated cherubs	scarce
Arlington Bank (Washington, D.C.)	5	185x	flying maid; red tint	250					DC165-G4
Bank of America (Georgetown)	2	1852	T. Jefferson	225					DC50-G2
	3	1852	maid & eagle	250					DC50-G4
Bank of Anacastia (Anacastia, D.C.)	1	1854	red 1s	175	225	300	375	450	DC35-G2
	2	1854	red 2	175	225	300	375	450	DC35-G4
	5	1854	B&W	175	225	300	375	450	DC35-G8
Bank of Commerce (Georgetown)	1	1862		375					DC70-G12
	5	18xx					1,150		DC70-G2
	5	18xx	proof; G. Washington, red 5s		800				CD70-G2
	10	18xx					1,250		DC70-G4
	20	18xx	proof; G. Washington; red Xs		800				DCG6
Bank of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.)	5	1858	orange tint	175	225	325	400	475	DC215-G8
	5	1858	proof; orange tint	500	600	750	850	950	DC215-G8
	10	1858	red tint	160	210	300	375	450	DC215-G10
Bank of the Metropolis (Washington, D.C.)	20	18xx	Capitol building	225					DC290-G52
	50	18xx	Capitol building	500					DC290-G74
	100	18xx	Capitol building	250					DC290-G64
Bank of North America (Georgetown, D.C.)	5	185x	seated maid w shield; red 5s	375					DC130-G8
Bank of the Republic (Washington, D.C.)	1	1852	eagle	140					DC350-G2
	1	1852	proof; eagle; B&W		500				DC350-G10
	2	1852	proof; Capitol building; B&W		500				DC350-G12
	5	1852	eagle	175	250	325			DC350-G6
	5	1852	proof; eagle			600	700	800	DC350-G6
	10	1852	seated maid	100	120	150			DC350-G8
	10		proof; seated maid		800
	1-2	1852	proof; uncut sheet
	5-10	1852	uncut proof sheet
Bank of the Union (Washington, D.C.)	1	1851	red ONE	120	160	225			DC360-G2
	1.50	1851	green overprint	200					DC360-G4
	2	1851	maid in oval; red TWO	130	175	250			DC360-G6
	3	1851	maids w shield; red THREE	180					DC360-G8
Bank of the United States (Washington, D.C.)	1	1852	proof; eagle
	10	1834							replica
	20	18xx	eagle w shield	500					US-2 C1016
	1000	1840	serial number 8894						replica
	1000000	1840	serial number 711						replica
Bank of Washington	20	18xx	reprint			120
	50	18xx	proof; G. Washington	500					DC385-G38
	100	18xx	proof; G. Washington		800				DC385-G52
	100		reprint			150
Bullion Bank (Washington, D.C.)	10 cents	1862		50					DC170-UNL
	25 cents	1862		60					DC170-UNL
	50 cents	1862	scrollwork at bottom corners	60					DC170-UNL
	1	1862	payable in Demand Notes	200					DC170-G12
	1	1862	payable in Treasury Notes	235	325	400			DC170-G20
	2	1862	payable in Treasury Notes	300	375	450			DC170-G14
	3	1862	payable in Demand Notes	225	400	500			DC170-G16
	3	1862	payable in Treasury Notes	225	400	500			DC170-G24
	3	1862	no serial number	0					replica
	5	18xx	maid; red tint	250					DC170-G8
	5	1862	maid; red tint	325	400	500			DC170-G6
Central Bank (Georgetown)	12 1/2 cents	1816							DC60-G8
Chemical Bank (Washington, D.C.)	10	1853	Atlas	250					DC175-G18
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Company	25 cents	1837	proof; canoe; B&W		300
(Washington, D.C.)	5	184x	seated maid	100	125	150
	10	18xx	signing ceremony	100	125	150
	20	184x	maid on wharf	100	125	150
Citizens Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	18xx	maid; anvil	90	120	150			DC180-G2
	2	18xx	seated man	90	120	150			DC180-G4
	3	18xx	farmer at right	175					DC180-G6
	5	18xx	eagle	150					DC180-G8
	10	1852
City Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	1852		175					DC185-G2
	2			185					DC185-G4
Columbia Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	185x	eagle; B&W	130	160				DC195-G2
	1	185x	proof; B&W			1,000
	3	185x	seated maid w shield	135	180				CD195-G4
	3	1862		0					replica
	5	185x	3 maids; B&W	135	160	180			DC195-G6
	10	1852	3 seated maids; red TEN	140	165	200			DC195-G8
	10	185x	proof		1,000				DC195-G8
	20	185x	seated maid; red TWENTY	225	235	250			DC195-G10
Commercial Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	185x		100					DC205-G2
Congressional Bank (Washington City)	5	18xx	red FIVE	150					DC210-G6
Congressional Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	1856		330					DC205-G2
	5	185x	red FIVE
Corporation of Georgetown (Georgetown)	5	18xx	cherubs	600
	6	18xx	proof; train		2,500				G10
	7	18xx	proof; Capitol; Minerva left	2,000
Eastern Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	18xx					1,200		DC220-G2
Empire Bank (Georgetown, D.C.)	1	1852	sailing ships	500					DC80-G2
Farmers Bank (Georgetown, D.C.)	1	1852	plow	175					DC85-G2
Farmers & Merchants Bank (Washington, D.C.)	25 cents	1862	seated maid	80	100	150			DC235-G8
	50 cents	1862	maid in oval	80	100	150
	1	18xx	plow	175					DC235-G12
	1	18xx	proof; plow; B&W	300					DC235-G12
	1	18xx	proof reprint (c)	180	275	400			DC235-G12b
	1.25	1862	red 1.25	180	275	400			DC235-G14
	1.50	1862	drovers; red 1.50	250					DC235-G16
	1.75	1862		250					DC230-G18
	2	1862		250
	3	18xx	proof		400
Government Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	1862	large eagle; red & green tints
	2	1862	large eagle; red & green tints
	5	1862	large eagle, green tint	200	250	400			DC255-G6
Humbug Glory Bank (Washington, D.C.)	6 cents	ND	donkey	800
International Bank (Washington, D.C.)	10	18xx	proof reprint (c); green tint
John H. King (George Town, D.C.)	25 cents	184x	maid w cows	200
	50 cents	184x	mother & child at right	200
	1	184x	cherubs at top right	200
La Fayette Bank (Georgetown)	2	1855	train	220					DC105-G4
Mechanics Bank (Georgetown, D.C.)	1	18xx	seated couple; red ONE	125	175	300	400	475	DC115-G2
	2	18xx	seated maid, red TWO	150	200	325	450	525	DC115-G4
	3	18xx	G. Washington; red THREE	175	225	350	500	575	DC115-G6
Mechanics Bank (Washington, D.C.)	2	1852		250					DC265-G10
	4	1852	train	250					DC265-G12
Mechanics & Traders Bank (Alexandria)	1	1852		135	150	200
	3	1852		135	150	200
Mechanics & Traders Bank (Georgetown)	1	1852	maid & eagle	115	150				DC120-G2
	3	1852	seated maid; gray THREE	115	150				DC120-G6
Mercantile Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	186x	train; red & green		225				DC270-G2
	2	186x	seated maid; red & green		225				DC270-G4
	5	186x	Indians w plow; red & green		300
Merchants & Traders Bank (Georgetown)	1	1852		180
Merchants’ Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	1852	maid in oval	80	110	135			DC275-G2
	3	1852	Indian maiden	100	125	160			DC275-G4
	5	1852	2 maids	100	125	160			DC275-G6
	1-3-1-5	1852	uncut sheet
Merchants’ Exchange Bank (Anacastia)	1	1854	red 1s & ONE	150	180	235			DC45-G2
	2	1854		170	200	275	350
	3	1854	seated maid; red THREE	170	200	275	350		DC280-G6
Metropolitan Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	18xx	G. Washington	130	150	200			DC295-G2
	2	18xx	sailing ships	130	150	200			DC295-G4
	3	18xx	eagle	150	180	250			DC295-G6
	5	18xx	red FIVE	150	180	250			DC295-G8
National Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	1852	eagle & globe	600					DC300-G4
	1.75	1862	proof; G. Washington at left
Ocean Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	1852	sailor on wharf	200
	5	1852	sailing ships	200					DC315-G8
Patriotic Bank of Washington (Washington, D.C.)	10	18xx	proof; seated maid
People Bank (Georgetown)	2	1852	seated maid	400					DC135-G4
People’s Bank of North America (Washington, D.C.)	1	18xx	eagle	200					DC330-G2
	2	18xx	eagle	225					DC330-G4
Potomac River Bank (Georgetown)	1	185x	train	140	200	250	275		DC140-G2a
	2	185x	train	140	200	250	275		DC140-G4
	3	185x	America & eagle	140	220				DC140-G6
	5	185x	America & eagle	140	220				DC140-G8
Potomac Savings Bank (Washington, D.C.)	50 cents	1851	proof; man on horse
	1	1851	maid & children; gray ONE	135
	2	1852	sailing ships; gray TWO	135
	3	1852	seated maid; gray THREE	135
Presidents Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	1852	G. Washington	150	210	280			DC340-G2
	1	1852		0					replica
	2	1852	eagle	150	210	280			DC340-G4
	5	1852	G. Washington	175	225	300			DC340-G8
	5	1852	serial number 6487	0					replica
Southern Manufacturers Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	1852	blacksmith	175
	1.50	1852	man w machinery
Union Bank of Columbia (Washington, D.C.)	20	18xx	proof reprint (c)			150			DC365-G6
	20	18xx	1994 proof reprint (b)					125	DC365-G6
	50	18xx	proof reprint (c)			150			DC365-G8
Union Bank of Georgetown (Georgetown)	5	18xx	3 maids at upper left	125					DC130-C30
United States (Washington, D.C.)	100	183x	proof; seated Mercury; B&W		3,500
Virginia Bank (Washington, D.C.)	1	18xx	proof; B&W			1,000			DC380-G2
Washington Bank (Washington, D.C.)	5	18xx	ships	175					DC390-G6

(a) These reference numbers may contain errors and are not guaranteed.

(b) Obsolete currency reprint by ABNC in 1994 for its American Paper Money Collection.

(c) Proprietary proof reprints were intaglio printed from the original plates by an independent party after the time of the note’s original issue. They are most commonly on thicker paper stock than the originally issued notes.