SANTA ANA, CA.- Numismatic auction powerhouse Stack’s Bowers Galleries will be offering one of the rarest American currency notes during their sale of Part IV of the Joel R. Anderson Collection, Feb. 28 – March 3 at the Whitman Spring Expo in Baltimore.

Known as the Marcy Note, it is the only bill of its kind known to exist in private hands and is considered among the most unobtainable examples of paper money. The only other Marcy Note permanently resides in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution. This is the first time the Marcy Note will be offered at auction.

This Silver Certificate features the portrait of William L. Marcy who served as a United States senator, secretary of war under President James Knox Polk, and governor of New York. Marcy also figures prominently in the history of the California Gold Rush. He was the executive who examined the first gold shipment from California to Washington in 1848 and recognized its importance.

“You can’t own a rarer piece of American paper money,” said Brian Kendrella, president of Stack’s Bowers Galleries. “The Marcy Note is the centerpiece of the Anderson Collection and we’re honored to be the first to offer it at auction.”

The Joel R. Anderson Collection is acknowledged by numismatic experts worldwide to be the finest and most complete collection of Large Size U.S. paper money types in existence. It contains extremely high quality examples of some of the rarest notes and most beautiful designs ever used on American currency. Collectors regard the detail and intricacy of the engraving of these notes as fine art, akin to what would be found at the Smithsonian or other museums.

This is the fourth sale of the Joel R. Anderson Collection and Stack’s Bowers Galleries expects this offering to continue to set price records. The firm estimates that the total for the full series of auctions could exceed $35 million. The three auctions presented so far in 2018 have garnered a total of $26,184,240.

Joel R. Anderson is the chairman and director of the Anderson Companies, a conglomerate that includes music distribution and publishing companies. He is also a well-known philanthropist. He has always been an avid numismatic collector and thoroughly enjoyed building collections in several different coin and paper money series.

His family has also shared in “the thrill of the hunt” over the decades while building this remarkable collection. The Joel R. Anderson Collection of United States paper money represents years of connoisseurship and patience by Mr. Anderson, who focused his energy on acquiring the finest and the rarest examples. Now that his mission to build the best collection of vintage U.S. paper money has been accomplished, he wishes the next generation of collectors to enjoy the rarities in his cabinet. He also wanted to be personally involved in the sale of his collection and share this aspect of collecting with his family, including attending the auctions in person with them.

Despite the fact that this unprecedented offering is taking place when credit cards and alternative crypto-currencies are the rage, demand for rare and historic American paper money remains high. And it’s not just Americans who will bid millions for American currency. There are also many international buyers, among whom are some of the wealthiest collectors in the world.