Homer Lee Bank Note Company
Encyclopedia
The Homer Lee Bank Note Company was a producer of postage stamp
s and currency
and was founded in New York City
by artist, engraver, and inventor Homer Lee
. In 1891, it was absorbed into the American Bank Note Company
.
The Homer Lee Company grew in the 1880s and 1890s by producing engraved
stock and bond certificates
, primarily for railroads and mining companies. In 1883, the company won the competition to engrave and print the first postal notes for the postal system
during the contract's first four-year period. Both the yellow and the white security papers for these early money orders were produced by Crane and Company in Dalton, Massachusetts
. Homer Lee hired Thomas F. Morris, perhaps best known for his later work as the government's Chief of the Bureau of Engraving
, from the American Bank Note Company to be his Superintendent. The Homer Lee Bank Note Company produced currency and postage stamps for numerous foreign governments before amassing debts and being taken over by the American Bank Note Company in 1891.
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s and currency
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
and was founded in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by artist, engraver, and inventor Homer Lee
Homer Lee
Homer Lee, an engraver, artist, inventor, and entrepreneur, was born in 1856 in Mansfield, Ohio.He was the founder and president of the Homer Lee Bank Note Company in New York City, also vice president of the Franklin Lee Bank Note Company, and president of the Hamilton Bank Note Company...
. In 1891, it was absorbed into the American Bank Note Company
American Bank Note Company
The American Bank Note Company was a major worldwide engraver of national currency and postage stamps. Currently it engraves and prints stock and bond certificates.-History:Robert Scot, the first official engraver of the young U.S...
.
The Homer Lee Company grew in the 1880s and 1890s by producing engraved
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
stock and bond certificates
Stock certificate
In corporate law, a stock certificate is a legal document that certifies ownership of a specific number of stock shares in a corporation...
, primarily for railroads and mining companies. In 1883, the company won the competition to engrave and print the first postal notes for the postal system
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
during the contract's first four-year period. Both the yellow and the white security papers for these early money orders were produced by Crane and Company in Dalton, Massachusetts
Dalton, Massachusetts
Dalton is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Dalton is the transition town between the urban and rural pieces of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,892 at the 2000 census.- History...
. Homer Lee hired Thomas F. Morris, perhaps best known for his later work as the government's Chief of the Bureau of Engraving
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing is a government agency within the United States Department of the Treasury that designs and produces a variety of security products for the United States government, most notable of which is paper currency for the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve itself is...
, from the American Bank Note Company to be his Superintendent. The Homer Lee Bank Note Company produced currency and postage stamps for numerous foreign governments before amassing debts and being taken over by the American Bank Note Company in 1891.
See also
- Postage stamps and postal history of the United States
- ScripophilyScripophilyScripophily is the study and collection of stock and bond certificates. A specialized field of numismatics, scripophily is an interesting area of collecting due to both the inherent beauty of some historical documents as well as the interesting historical context of each document. Some stock...
- New York Bank Note CompanyNew York Bank Note CompanyThe New York Bank Note Company was an engraver of stock certificates in New York City.-History:The company was founded in 1877 as the Kendall Bank Note Company. In 1892 George H. Kendall replaced Russell Sage as president of the company....
- American Bank Note CompanyAmerican Bank Note CompanyThe American Bank Note Company was a major worldwide engraver of national currency and postage stamps. Currently it engraves and prints stock and bond certificates.-History:Robert Scot, the first official engraver of the young U.S...