Today's bank note features a portrait of birthday boy Francis Hopkinson as well as a nice train vignette. It also raises the question, would anyone in the 1850s have recognized Hopkinson, who signed the Declaration of Independence, 60 years after his death? Bordentown Bank, NJ, $1, Oct. 1, 1851.

What movie do you consider perfect?

Today's bank note features a portrait of birthday boy Francis Hopkinson as well as a nice train vignette. It also raises the question, would anyone in the 1850s have recognized Hopkinson, who signed the Declaration of Independence, 60 years after his death? Bordentown Bank, NJ, $1, Oct. 1, 1851.

It is the birthday of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, shown here on a Carroll County bank note. One of the richest men in the colonies in 1776, he was the only Catholic signatory of the Declaration of Independence and later a Maryland Senator. Farmers and Mechanics Bank, Westminster, MD, $5, 18--.🗃️

Any Philadelphia historians out there who can point me to good sources for understanding Philadelphia highlife culture in the immediate post-Civil War era? late 1860s and early 1870s? I'm particularly interested in any info on the Moyamensing Balls

It is the birthday of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, shown here on a Carroll County bank note. One of the richest men in the colonies in 1776, he was the only Catholic signatory of the Declaration of Independence and later a Maryland Senator. Farmers and Mechanics Bank, Westminster, MD, $5, 18--.🗃️

Jordan Smith's book on the Invention of Rum is coming out next month and readers might be surprised that pirates don't feature more prominently. In a fabulous new Commonplace piece, he explains why he made this choice even though he teaches a course on pirates: commonplace.online/article/wher...

For some reason today I was reminded of my high school yearbook quote: "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; but if you really make them think, they'll hate you" from early 20th century humorist Don Marquis. Side note, as a prank I credited the line to Blaise Pascal.

The Constitution was signed in Philadelphia today in 1787 (good day for a reread). Here is a Civil War shinplaster from a grocer payable at the Oneida Central Bank with an amazing Schoolhouse Rockesque vignette of hands shaking with the Constitution. A. Ethridge & Co., Rome, NY, $.10, Oct 12, 1862.

The Constitution was signed in Philadelphia today in 1787 (good day for a reread). Here is a Civil War shinplaster from a grocer payable at the Oneida Central Bank with an amazing Schoolhouse Rockesque vignette of hands shaking with the Constitution. A. Ethridge & Co., Rome, NY, $.10, Oct 12, 1862.

Who said that this administration's policies were raising prices? www.wsj.com/world/americ...

Jordan Smith's book on the Invention of Rum is coming out next month and readers might be surprised that pirates don't feature more prominently. In a fabulous new Commonplace piece, he explains why he made this choice even though he teaches a course on pirates: commonplace.online/article/wher...

It is the birthday of Squire Whipple (great name), an engineer and pioneer in designing iron truss bridges. Here are a couple of lovely examples of these bridges captured on antebellum bank notes. Phenix Bank of Westerly, RI, $5, 18-- and Farmers Bank at Hudson, WI, $3, 18--.🗃️

We have a brand new essay @commonplacejrnl.bsky.social today! Jordan Smith writes on his forthcoming history of rum and responds to the question "where all the pirates???"

It is the birthday of Squire Whipple (great name), an engineer and pioneer in designing iron truss bridges. Here are a couple of lovely examples of these bridges captured on antebellum bank notes. Phenix Bank of Westerly, RI, $5, 18-- and Farmers Bank at Hudson, WI, $3, 18--.🗃️

It's James Fenimore Cooper's birthday, so I am celebrating with a municipal shinplaster from Cooperstown, the village founded by his father William, where James spent his childhood and later life. Redeemable in bank notes, it featured a shepherd vignette. Village of Cooperstown, NY, $.03, 18--.🗃️

It's James Fenimore Cooper's birthday, so I am celebrating with a municipal shinplaster from Cooperstown, the village founded by his father William, where James spent his childhood and later life. Redeemable in bank notes, it featured a shepherd vignette. Village of Cooperstown, NY, $.03, 18--.🗃️

Got a visit on my back porch from a new friend. He brought along his own dinner.

Did you know that Commonplace accepts submissions for articles and reviews on a rolling basis? More information can be found below or please reach out to me directly with a pitch or any questions about a piece on any aspect of vast early America before 1900. 🗃️ commonplace.online/article/subm...

Looking at Chicago paper money today and came across this outrageous advertising note from clothing merchants for a promotion giving away a $1 for babies born in Cook County in Nov. and Dec., 1880. The babies in the vignette are clothed in $ signs. Willoughby, Hill & Co, Chicago, IL, $1, 1880.🗃️

Looking at Chicago paper money today and came across this outrageous advertising note from clothing merchants for a promotion giving away a $1 for babies born in Cook County in Nov. and Dec., 1880. The babies in the vignette are clothed in $ signs. Willoughby, Hill & Co, Chicago, IL, $1, 1880.🗃️

I am thrilled to announce that my book Night Hawk: A Nineteenth-Century Superhero and the Dawn of American Mass Culture is officially in production and scheduled for publication in September 2026 by @uchicagopress.bsky.social

I am posting some Chicago bank notes and shinplasters this week and today's bill features an amazing center vignette of Neptune's sea chariot being pulled by hippocampi. Seated at the back of the chariot is Liberty on a clam shell. Marine Bank of Chicago, IL, $3, 18--.🗃️

Thinking about Chicago tonight, so here are some notes with 1860s Chicago street scenes featuring an opera house and dry goods store building that both burned in the 1871 Great Fire. Crosby Opera House Art Association, Chicago, IL, $5, 1866 and Fernow & Koenig, Chicago, IL, $.25, 1862. 🗃️

Slightly diminish a book Natures Smallville

Today would have been Bob Newhart's birthday, so I am celebrating with this quirky bank note from Vermont. The vignettes of a man plowing, a woman holding grain, and a classical scene with Hercules and Mercury appear on this odd denomination. Bank of Bennington, VT, $7, 18--.🗃️

Happy (early) Pub Day, @csschmitt.bsky.social! Can't wait to read it!

Today would have been Bob Newhart's birthday, so I am celebrating with this quirky bank note from Vermont. The vignettes of a man plowing, a woman holding grain, and a classical scene with Hercules and Mercury appear on this odd denomination. Bank of Bennington, VT, $7, 18--.🗃️

Still time to apply for the 2026 WMQ-EMSI workshop at the Huntington Library. Proposals due Sept. 15:🗃️ oieahc.wm.edu/events-overv...

Still time to apply for the 2026 WMQ-EMSI workshop at the Huntington Library. Proposals due Sept. 15:🗃️ oieahc.wm.edu/events-overv...

The American Philosophical Society is hosting my book talk in person and remote Oct. 7. Register here: www.amphilsoc.org/events/nativ...

Just heard about this (free) talk/book signing in Baltimore in October, and looking forward to it—we're big Seth Rockman ( @sethrockman.bsky.social ) appreciators here! www.mdhistory.org/calendar/pla...

OTD in 1609, Henry Hudson's ship Half Moon entered New York harbor and what the Dutch called the North River before it was renamed for Hudson. The moment is depicted on this bank note vignette, but the date label on the Palisades gets the year wrong. North River Bank, New York, NY, $1, 18--.🗃️

Paul Reubens, best know for his role as waiter in The Blues Brothers.

OTD in 1609, Henry Hudson's ship Half Moon entered New York harbor and what the Dutch called the North River before it was renamed for Hudson. The moment is depicted on this bank note vignette, but the date label on the Palisades gets the year wrong. North River Bank, New York, NY, $1, 18--.🗃️

I see more Bluesky discussion, so here is some @commonplacejrnl.bsky.social data (I am the editor). In the past month Bluesky ranked third on how people came to Commonplace.online (twitter was not in top ten). Same month two years ago, Twitter ranked third, but with fewer than half the referrals.

The Treasury Department was founded OTD in 1789. It did not issue many small denomination paper notes before the Civil War, but here is one from the 1815 in the wake of the War of 1812. It was receivable for taxes, duties, and land sales or could be redeemed in amounts over $100 for stock at 7%. 🗃️

The Treasury Department was founded OTD in 1789. It did not issue many small denomination paper notes before the Civil War, but here is one from the 1815 in the wake of the War of 1812. It was receivable for taxes, duties, and land sales or could be redeemed in amounts over $100 for stock at 7%. 🗃️

I see more Bluesky discussion, so here is some @commonplacejrnl.bsky.social data (I am the editor). In the past month Bluesky ranked third on how people came to Commonplace.online (twitter was not in top ten). Same month two years ago, Twitter ranked third, but with fewer than half the referrals.

Happy Labor Day! Here are two images from my first book Advocating The Man that looked at organized labor and masculinity in early republic New York. The first is an 1836 cartoon comparing striking workers to farm animals that won’t work and next is the header from the 1834 prolabor paper, The Man.

On this Labor Day, check out a thoughtful, short piece on the background of the holiday from Edward Gray, our former editor at Commonplace who unexpectedly passed in 2023.🗃️ commonplace.online/article/labo...

On this Labor Day, check out a thoughtful, short piece on the background of the holiday from Edward Gray, our former editor at Commonplace who unexpectedly passed in 2023.🗃️ commonplace.online/article/labo...

Happy Labor Day! Here are two images from my first book Advocating The Man that looked at organized labor and masculinity in early republic New York. The first is an 1836 cartoon comparing striking workers to farm animals that won’t work and next is the header from the 1834 prolabor paper, The Man.

Tomorrow, in Part 1 of a two part episode on the Did Nothing Wrong Pod, I sit down with Professor @sethcotlar.bsky.social to talk about the history of the Radical Right in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Subscribe Today! www.didnothingwrongpod.com/p/did-nothin...

This popped up in my photo memories today. It was from when my daughter was seven and is titled “Two turntables and a microphone.”

It is 20 years since Hurricane Katrina and I am thinking about New Orleans today. Here are a couple of Panic of 1837 shinplasters issued by Municipality No. One that featured views of city and street scenes. The first shows the St. Louis Cathedral and the second has a view of the St. Louis Hotel. 🗃️

It is 20 years since Hurricane Katrina and I am thinking about New Orleans today. Here are a couple of Panic of 1837 shinplasters issued by Municipality No. One that featured views of city and street scenes. The first shows the St. Louis Cathedral and the second has a view of the St. Louis Hotel. 🗃️

I figured the study’s approach would be problematic when I saw the title was Time on the Croissant.

OTD in 1859, the first commercially viable well is drilled in Titusville, PA, launching an oil boom in what reporter William Wright called Petrolia. The era was captured in this vignette of an oil derrick in action from the on-the-nose named Petroleum Bank, Titusville, PA, $5, Sept 4, 1863.🗃️

We are no longer cat sitting for a friend, so Artemis has the run of my office and has reclaimed his dominant position in the house.