NY $20 The MANHATTAN Company New York March 22, 1846 bank check For Sale

MANHATTAN New York

Manhattan Company

$20 March 22, 1846

bank check

~ 6 3/4 X 2 1/2 inches

Founded in 1799 under the influence of Aaron Burr, the Manhattan Company occupies a unique place in early American banking history. Originally chartered to supply fresh water to New York City, the institution quietly leveraged its charter to establish one of the city’s earliest commercial banks. By the 1840s, the Manhattan Company had become a central player in New York’s expanding financial system, supporting trade, infrastructure, and urban growth during a period of rapid economic development.

This 1846 check reflects the era’s reliance on engraved financial instruments as both functional documents and symbols of institutional stability. The allegorical vignette and fine engraving underscore the bank’s emphasis on prosperity and trust. The Manhattan Company would later merge into what ultimately became Chase Bank, linking this modest check to the foundations of modern American finance.