Mechanics Bank of Alexandria – $10 Obsolete Banknote - Haxby DC-20 G10

United States, Virginia. Mechanics Bank of Alexandria, $10 Obsolete Banknote, Alexandria, 5 April 1831. Serial No. 625.

Engraved antebellum banknote issued by the Mechanics Bank of Alexandria, promising payment of ten dollars to Jas. T. Crease (or bearer) on demand. The note is dated 5 April 1831 and bears manuscript serial number 625.

The central vignette shows a craftsman or workman kneeling beside equipment and tools, reinforcing the bank’s association with mechanical trades and industry. Decorative circular medallions containing the Roman numeral “X”appear at the upper corners, while elaborate vertical panels along the margins read “TEN” and “ALEXANDRIA.” The denomination “Ten Dollars” is prominently engraved across the center in ornate script and block lettering.

Manuscript signatures of Chas. Chapin, Cashier, and Geo. Brent, President, appear along the lower margin. A vignette of tools and implements used in mechanical trades decorates the bottom center, tying the imagery to the institution’s name and identity. The note was engraved by Murray, Draper, Fairman & Co., whose imprint appears below the central design.

Condition: Circulated with typical handling and light wear consistent with early nineteenth-century banknotes.