Circus

The Circus card is a very rare and desirable mechanical bank trade card. Only a handful of Circus cards have survived. The card's inherent scarceness is compounded by the thin stock on which it was printed.

From a purely artistic point of view, this is one of the finest of all mechanical bank cards. Several features contribute to make this card stand out: (1) the brilliant colors are immediately striking; (2) the scrolled design work down the left side and midway across the top are reminiscent of Aubrey Beardsley; (3) the "Circus Bank" lettering is wonderfully conceived; and (4) the fanciful design and text font used make this card look like something right out of a children's book.

The reverse of the Circus card is blank in terms of design, but usually has a simple dealer's or distributor's imprint.

We know that the Circus card was issued in 1888. Unfortunately, we don't know who printed it, as it is unsigned. It is shown here at 85 percent of full size.


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