1901 $10 Legal Tender "Bison"

Description

Ranked #6 in 100 Greatest American Currency Notes, the 1901 $10 "Bison" Note features a striking image of an American bison at the center, set against the backdrop of the American Plains. The design also includes portraits of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, two famous explorers of the Westward Expansion. While many mistakenly believed the bison on the note was inspired by the Black Diamond bison used on the Buffalo nickel (1913–1938), the animal depicted is actually the National Zoological Park Bison No. 2926 from Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the U.S.

The front of the note prominently displays the denomination with the letters "X" and "TEN" on the left and the U.S. Treasury seal on the right, all in red ink. The red serial numbers are repeated twice—on the upper right and lower left corners—while the four corners feature stylized numerals.

The reverse side of the note showcases Columbia, the female personification of the United States, a symbol that dates back to 16th-century European artwork referencing the untamed New World. The 1901 $10 "Bison" Note comes in nine varieties of signature combinations, making it a rare and highly collectible piece of American currency.