Celeste

The First National Bank of Celeste

Celeste is in Hunt County, about 13 miles north of Greenville on TX 69.

Towns sometimes moved their City Halls into abandoned banks.
This may have happened in Kerens, as well.

The website of the First Bank of Celeste states:

"The bank operated at the original location until 1978 when a new building one block west of the old bank was moved into. Expanded in 1984, this building continues to serve the bank well today."

"one block west of the old bank" identifies the building with the green roof on the extreme right (behind the black auto),
and it confirms the City Hall as the former First National Bank of Celeste.

The First National Bank of Celeste was chartered 5324 in 1900 and continued printing money through 1935.

The inventory shows 24 notes: one 1882 Brown Back, nine 1882 Date Backs, eight 1902 Plain Backs, two 1929 Type 1's, and four 1929 Type 2's.

One 1882 Date Back, Extremely fine, is held in the Philpott-Moody Collection.

One of the 1882 Date Backs - SN 256, grade F-VF - sold in a Lyn Knight auction in August 2004 for $1,495.

The same note is again for sale on the open market. The asking price is $2,950.
A ChoiceVeryFine 35 1882 Date Back sold in a Heritage action in 2010 for $1,955.


[Image Heritage Auctions]

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