BOSTON  Massachusetts 

The Lafayette Bank

$20     January 29, 1837 

Haxby MA-255 G28

Cataloged as MA‑255 G28 in Haxby, this early antebellum issue reflects the civic pride and commercial ambition of Boston’s banking community during the 1830s. The Lafayette Bank operated briefly during a volatile period of expansion and reform, and its notes are prized for their artistry and historical resonance.

Printed by the New England Bank Note Co., Boston, the design features rich allegorical and industrial imagery: a woman holding scales of justice at left, a bustling center vignette with factories, ships, and horse-drawn carts symbolizing commerce, and a portrait at right of the Marquis de Lafayette, whose name the bank honored. The note is payable to J. Bowditch Jr., adding a layer of personal provenance.

Issued just months before the Panic of 1837, this note embodies the optimism and fragility of early American finance. It offers strong appeal to collectors focused on pre-Civil War banking, Boston issuer history, and high-denomination obsolete currency. A visually compelling and historically rich addition to any New England collection.