SAGINAW — Mark Berg can hold Saginaw history in his hands. In a chance find this year, he uncovered the first three $10 notes Saginaw City Bank issued in 1837. The notes bear the serial numbers 1, 2 and 3 and are in perfect condition. Norman Little, founder of Saginaw City in 1836, served as Saginaw City Bank president and signed the notes Dec. 26, 1837 — 170 years ago today.

“The significance isn’t in the value of these notes or in their pristine, uncirculated condition,” said Berg, a Saginaw Township numismatic hobbyist and small-time collector. “It’s the fact that they still survive today, 170 years later, as a group.”

Little’s bank issued “wildcat” currency in 1837. His ability to sell land in Saginaw City backed the notes, says “Saginaw’s Changeable Past: An Illustrated History,” which Delta College history Professor Jeremy W. Kilar wrote. Read Full Story

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