Looking Back #99 - The American Bank Note Co., -- Centenary

The American Bank Note Co., -- Centenary

The American Bank Note Co., of New York,
recently marked the centennial of its
corporate formation.

It was on April 29, 1958, that the
documents were executed and seven firms,
whose twenty-six partners, included the
world's leading engravers (one firm was
established in 1795), were merged into
an organization to be known thenceforward
as the American Bank Note Co.

These firms were the following:
Toppan, Carpenter & Co.:
Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson;
Danforth, Perkins & Co.;
Jocelyn, Draper, Welch & Co.;
Wellstood, Hay & Whitney;
Bald, Cousland & Co.; and
John E. Gavit.

Several of these names are familiar to
collectors, and aside from those who
printed U. S. postage stamps, at least
three of the firms printed some of the
privately sponsored U. S. Local issues.

The inclusion of the firm of Toppan,
Carpenter & Co., in this early merger
is not readily explained. They held
the U. S. stamp printing contract from
1851 to 1861, but in the production of
these stamps the names of the American
Bank Note Co. never appears.

There were additional consolidations
later when the National Bank Note Co.,
and the Continental Bank Note Co., were
absorbed, and from 1879 and for fifteen
years thereafter the American Bank Note
Co., printed and furnished all of the
U. S. postage stamps until, in 1894,
the government took over the work at
the Bureau of Engraving & Printing.

During this time the A.B.N.Co., produced
the famed Columbian Exposition series
and they were employed again in 1943-44
to furnish the multi-colored "Flag"
stamps honoring the "Overrun Countries"
in World War II.

Thousands of varieties of the world's postage
stamps and bank notes have been printed by
the American Bank Note Co. Their specialty,
of course, has always been steel intaglio
engraving, but the are also expert in the art
of lithography and their product has never
been permitted to meet anything but the highest
standards of quality.

In connection with their centennial a fine
history of the firm and its operations over
the past century appeared in The American Banker
(April 29, 1958). During its early years the
company was located in the famed Merchant's
Exchange, 55 Wall St. (once the U. S. post
office, today the main office of the First
National City Bank of New York). In 1867
they moved to new quarters at 142 Broadway
(at Liberty St.), and seventeen years later
they were at 78-86 Trinity Place, west of
Trinity Church, overlooking the old grave yard.

In 1911 the plant moved ot Hunt's Point, Bronx.
Executive offices have been located in their
own building at 70 Broad St. since 1908. Other
plants are in Chicago and Boston with subsidiary
plants and operations at New Malden, England,
and Ottawa, Canada (Canadian Bank Note Co.).
The firm has a long and very illustrious history.


- George B. Sloane
Sloane's Column
Stamps
May 17, 1958