May 12 is International Nurses Day and marks the 199th anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. Nightingale is the founder of modern nursingand today acknowledged for elevating the occupation to a professional level. British by birth, she rose to prominence through her medical serviceduring the Crimean War (1853-1856). Among her greatest contributions was the use of statistical methods as a tool to manage public health. It is nosurprise that Nightingale has been the subject of engravers ever since, such as this $2 Western Bank of Missouri note from the Eric P. Newmancollection.

A second example comes from Minnesota, a Winona County Bank $1 from 1858. A final example reminds us of the ever present paper moneycounterfeiters, this an 1859 $20 counterfeit note from the Farmers Bank of Missouri. The last was acquired by Newman from D.C. Wismer, the dealer whotipped off Newman to the existence of Missouri paper money in the Col. Green estate - Newman followed up with Chase Bank (the estate administrator)in New York, and the rest is history. The particular note sold for only $132, a lot of provenance for a little currency.

Images:
Western Bank of Missouri $2 (1861), from Newman VII (Heritage Auctions, 10/2015, realized $6,462.50).

Winona (MN) County Bank $1 (1858), from Newman VII (Heritage Auctions, 10/2015, realized $2,115).

Farmers Bank of (Liberty) Missouri $20 (1859), counterfeit, from Newman VIII (Heritage Auctions, 11/2017, realized $132).

Heritage Auctions on NNP:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/auctioncompanydetail/8