Lyn Knight’s Chicago Paper Money Expo bank note auction March 28-29 drew 592 bidders who together helped push the overall total price realized to about $2.7 million dollars. Among the 478 successful buyers is new owner of a four-note uncut sheet of Original Series National Bank Notes from Montana Territory, issued by the First National Bank of Helena.

The sheet consists of three $1 notes and a single $2 note with the very popular “Lazy Deuce” design. This sheet surfaced in 2004, the first time it left the hands of the family that acquired it around 1870.

Knight said only three uncut sheets of any type are known from Territorial national banks, excluding the District of Alaska. One is the in the American Numismatic Association museum, leaving two available for collectors.

He graded this sheet very fine, and it sold for $299,000 dollars, including 15 percent buyer’s fee.

Other highlights of Knight’s 2,700-lot auction were an 1864 $50 Interest Bearing Note dated April 20, referenced as Friedberg 203 and graded fine by catalogers. It brought $54,625 dollars.

Another Interest Bearing Note, a $20 dated March 18, 1864, Fr. 197, graded Apparent VF-25 Net by PCGS Currency, crossed the block for $33,350.

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