Offered here is a visually striking 50-cent advertising note issued by Sabey, a New York-based importer and dealer in hats, caps, furs, and lap robes. Undated and cataloged as a fractional “lookalike,” this piece mimics the style of mid-19th century currency while serving as a promotional tool for Sabey’s business, located on Genesee Street in Syracuse, NY. The note is printed by Ferd. Mayer & Co., a prominent New York engraver known for ornate commercial and financial designs.

Graded Very Fine 35 Apparent by PCGS Currency, this example shows moderate circulation wear and is noted as “mounted,” indicating prior display or archival use. The layout features bold “50” counters at each end, with repeating phrases “HATS AND CAPS” and “FURS AND ROBES” framing the central text. The phrase “Positively one price” reinforces Sabey’s fixed-price policy—a rarity in an era of haggling.

Advertising notes like this are highly collectible for their crossover appeal: they blend numismatic artistry with 19th-century marketing history. This example offers strong eye appeal and historical charm, ideal for collectors of merchant scrip, New York ephemera, or early American advertising.

Scarce "look-a-like"!