$5 Commercial Bank of the City of New York, 18__ , Proof PMG About Uncirculated 50
The bank was in operation from 1834 until Feb, 1842. However, issued notes are rarely seen and perhaps most were redeemed by the bank or the state afterwards. The bank is well known for a group of very odd denomination proofs (like $11, $12, $13, and $14), but this is from a series clearly meant to circulate. Bottom center, large vignette of “Venus Rising from the Sea,” adapted from the painting by John Barry (1772). The strategically floating cloud creates an early Victorian era pixilation technique favored by artists in the period. The symmetry of the note and its identical side elements is interesting. “This is a difficult New York bank to acquire and splendid style” – Heritage
