1882 5¢ Garfield
Earliest Known Use: February 18, 1882
Quantity issued: 170,894,020 (estimate)
Printed by: American Bank Note Company
Method: Flat plate
Color: Yellow brown
An officer in the Union Army during the Civil War, James A. Garfield also served for nine terms in the House of Representatives before being elected as our 20th President. Issued five months after his assassination, the intended color was black, to symbolize mourning. Mrs. Garfield, however, did not like the proofs and suggested brown be used instead.