Why does a 1900 Hopewell National Bank check have what looks like a postage stamp on it, and why is it cut through in the middle?
These checks from 1886 and 1900 help us take a look into banking in this area around the turn of the century. The two 1886 checks are drawn on the First National Bank of Trenton. The 1900 check is for The Hopewell National Bank, then at 13 East Broad Street (now the Hopewell Public Library – see earlier post).
The Trenton checks were written by Spencer W. Moore, and the Hopewell check by his son, David H. Moore. David was a local farmer, and his personal check is for $4.15. Spencer was an antique dealer and grocer in Hopewell, and his two checks are to local businesses: $6.18 to Finney and Fetter, the saw mill at the end of Model Avenue at Louellen Street (see earlier post), and $23.50 to John A. Miller, a local doctor in Hopewell for over 40 years.
The Checks
The checks are simple printed pieces of paper, and not the special stock used today to inhibit alteration, counterfeiting, or copying. Of course, this was an earlier time before photocopying and desktop editing and printing. The print shop used for the checks is identified at the bottom, with the Hopewell check printed by “The Hopewell Herald Print” – since the local Hopewell Herald newspaper was the de facto print shop for the town.
Both banks use attractive designs on the checks. The Trenton checks have the bank name in script and drop-shadowed, with an illustration of a man with a dog feeding a horse. The Hopewell checks are not illustrated, but use a fascinating typeface with curls in the lettering, and a different strong uppercase typeface for the bank name.
And yes, these were National Banks for the United States. By this time the United States had chartered national banks for towns as small as Hopewell, which even could issue their own branded currency (see earlier post). As further reassurance, the Trenton check also identifies the bank as a “Government Agency and Designated Depository of the United States.”
Cancelling and Clearing Checks
The apparent postage stamp and the slices in the center of the check have to do with cancelling it one it is paid. These checks were cancelled with a “stamp cut,” a visible cut that marks the check as processed and no longer valid. The the back of the Hopewell check also has an inked “Pay to the Order of” cancellation stamp from the bank, but the Trenton checks only have the cut.
The 1990 check also has an attached revenue stamp from the United States Internal Revenue’s “Series of 1898” stamp set, featuring an image of the USS Maine (see Wikipedia). This stamp is the 2-cent denomination, in red (“carmine rose”).
During the Civil War, the United States government started generating revenue from taxes placed on goods, services and legal dealings, including domestic items such as tobacco, alcohol, medicine, perfume, and playing cards. These stamps were issued to be used as proof of payment, and also cancelled with the date, using a date stamp or by hand (as was done on the Hopewell check).
Thanks to Rich Anderson for sharing more fascinating local materials.
Please contact us if you know more about turn-of-the-century banking, or have other related materials to share .
More on Hopewell Banks
Images – Hopewell Valley Bank Photos and Mementos in the Image Gallery
Hopewell National Bank
- Post – Hopewell National Bank Dollars (1890 – 1930s)
- Post – 1900s Hopewell Bank Checks
- Post – Hopewell National Bank Stone Sign
- Post – Hopewell Public Library – 13 East Broad & 2 East Broad buildings
- Images – Hopewell National Bank Mementos in the Image Gallery
