New Jersey 1861 $1

Egg Harbor Bank

 

This note from the Egg Harbor Bank, in Egg Harbor City, New Jersey dates from 1861 and features several vignettes, including a baby, a Native American, a Bald Eagle, and hunting dogs chasing down a deer. A nice green overprint ONE at the bottom is a nice addition as well as an anti-counterfeiting measure.

Egg Harbor City was founded in 1854 by German Catholic immigrants who were relocating from Pennsylvania. They were actually trying to find a place to escape a short lived anti-immigrant movement called the Know-Nothing Movement, which targeted Irish and German Catholics. It seems that there were a few protestant men who thought that these Catholics were close to overtaking the country and were controlled by the Pope. The Know Nothings (aptly named!) thought these Irish and German Catholics were going to harm Republican Party values. They finally dissolved in 1856 over the slavery issue.

Egg Harbor got its name from Dutch explorers in 1614 when they saw the shores covered in bird eggs. Today, it is a city of just over 4,000 people and is considered one of the best places in North America for bird watching.

1 Dollar 1861 Obsolete Currency "Egg Harbor Bank, New Jersey"
1 Dollar 1861 Obsolete Currency "Egg Harbor Bank, New Jersey"