HERITAGE: COVINA, CA UNCUT BROWNBACK SHEET

Among the most fascinating pieces in the upcoming 2025 October 7-10 GACC U.S. Currency Signature Auction is a Covina, CA Brown Back Uncut Sheet. Its rarity and visual appeal are only part of the story; what makes this sheet especially compelling are the personal connections and layers of history that invite collectors to see it not simply as currency, but as a story worth preserving.

This uncut sheet from the First National Bank of Covina, Ch. #5830, traces back to the Charley Colver Collection of California Nationals, offered by Heritage in May 1999. For Colver, Covina was not simply another name in his holdings; it was his hometown, and that personal connection shaped the depth of his collection. At the time of the 1999 auction, he owned nine of the sixteen notes then known from the bank, a notable share that reflected both his persistence as a collector and his ties to the community.

Among his Covina holdings, this Brown Back uncut sheet stood out above all others. Colver acquired it directly from the family of the bank's original owners, giving the piece an uncommon continuity of provenance from the institution itself into his collection. He often referred to it as "my favorite and most cherished bank note," a sentiment that reflects both his pride in preserving it and the importance it held for him personally.

Its rarity, however, stands on its own. This is the only known Brown Back uncut sheet from the state of California, a distinction that sets it apart from his other Covina holdings. Graded PMG About Uncirculated 53, it retains impressive eye appeal despite light folds and minor handling.

The First National Bank of Covina has a history worth noting as well. It began in 1898 as the Covina Valley Bank, established when the Covina branch of the Azusa Valley Bank opened in town. In 1901, it was reorganized and renamed the First National Bank of Covina. Its first office stood at the northwest corner of Citrus Avenue and College Street, and in 1924 the bank moved across the street to a new building at the northeast corner. Both buildings are still standing, and the second location continues to serve as a financial institution. While the bank is remembered in the numismatic community for its scarce and collectible notes, its lasting presence in Covina's architecture adds another layer to its story.

More than a numismatic rarity, this uncut sheet represents a unique intersection of community, collecting, and history. It tells the story of a small-town bank in early California, of a collector whose passion left a lasting imprint on the field, and of a piece he cherished above all others.

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