Article Text
# BANK BILLS BOUGHT CHEAP. $500 of an Old Savannah Bank Sold For 20 Cents. A New York lady bought five $100-bills of a Savannah bank the other day for 20 cents. It is not likely, however, that she will realize very largely on her investment. The bank was the Bank of Savannah, which suspended a long time ago. The bills were issued in 1858. The story of the find is told by the New York Journal as follows: "Mrs. Pearl Deforest of No. 203 West Forty-sixth street is a collector of odd and ancient books, and when passing an old book shop, near the postoffice, on Wednesday afternoon she felt an attack of bibliomania, and went inside. For some reason she purchased the second volume of the Iliad, though she had never felt any particular liking for Homer. The dealer asked 20 cents for it. It had no title page, and therefore the date of publication and the place where the book was printed could not be told. She took her purchase home, and when she and her husband were examining it, she suddenly exclaimed: "There's a piece of paper pasted inside the back cover with some of the leaves. I'm sure something's there, for in buying it I felt sure the book had a strange value." "Hot water was brought and the pasted leaves were carefully taken apart. Between them were found five $100 bills of the Bank of Savannah of 1858. "Inside of the front cover was a label reading: 'Hodson Library Society.' There was no name on the fly leaf, nor was there any clue by which the past ownership could be traced."