Heritage Auctions Magazine Presents: Deadwood History
by Dustin Johnston
Legendary Frontier Sheriff Seth Bullock Signed Note As Bank Officer
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Wyatt and Virgil Earp were among the many Wild West celebrities with ties to Deadwood. The brothers lived there for a short time before moving to Arizona. In 1876, the gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok was shot and killed while playing poker in a Deadwood saloon. Hickok's purported lover, Calamity Jane, asked to be buried at his side at the local cemetery.
Hickok's death triggered a demand for law and order and resulted in the appointment of Seth Bullock as Deadwood sheriff. Bullock had arrived from Montana, where he was a businessman and territorial senator. His first venture was a hardware store. After it was destroyed by fire, he built one of the finest hotels in the west. As sheriff, he wasted little time in cleaning up Deadwood's lawless reputation. Actor Timothy Olyphant portrayed Bullock on the critically acclaimed TV series Deadwood, which aired for three seasons on HBO.
Bullock was also vice president of Merchants National Bank, which opened in 1880 and issued $5, $10 and $20 notes. When issued, National Bank notes were most often signed by the cashier and president. In rare cases, they were signed by the assistant cashier or vice president. Heritage Auctions' Currency CSNS Signature® Auction #3505, which took place April 29-May 3, 2009, featured one of three known notes from this bank, an example hand-signed by Bullock as vice president.
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| Deadwood, Dakota Territory 1875 $5 Merchants National Bank Ch. #2461, Fr. 404, graded Very Fine 20 by PMG Sold: Heritage Auctions, April, 2009, $57,500 |
Heritage Magazine Spring 2009 Copyright ©2009 by Heritage Auctions, Inc.
