1876 Stissing National Bank Check – Pine Plains, Dutchess Co., NY – Revenue Stamp – $40 Payable to Paul Flaglar, Signed by Isaac F. Hallock

Description

This is an original, used personal/cashier’s check issued by the Stissing National Bank of Pine Plains, Dutchess County, New York (National Charter #981, converted from state-chartered Pine Plains Bank in 1865), dated May 24, 1876. It is drawn for $40.00 (“Forty Dollars”) payable to “Paul Flaglar” (handwritten payee) or bearer. Printed in blue ink on plain paper by P. W. Derham of 15 Nassau Street, New York (a period stationer/printer known for financial blanks), it features elegant Gothic lettering for the bank name “Stissing National Bank of Pine Plains,” location details, and pay lines. A small U.S. revenue stamp (likely proprietary type RN-G or similar, common 1860s–1880s for documentary taxes) is affixed upper left with a vignette (possibly portrait or allegorical design, appearing aged brownish). Handwritten elements include date, payee, amount (“Forty” in script with underline), fractional “40.100,” and signature “Isaac F. Hallock” (likely cashier or officer). No visible endorsements or heavy cancellations noted beyond possible light wear. This reflects everyday rural transactions in the Hudson Valley during the National Banking Era, when local national banks issued such drafts/checks. Condition appears good for 150+ years: intact paper, clear printing/handwriting, minor aging/foxing typical of the era, no major tears or losses—appealing to collectors of obsolete checks, revenue stamped paper, Dutchess County/NY history, or 19th-century ephemera.