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| 1891 $2 Silver Certificate Windom Note |
Paper Money of the United States: 1891 Two Dollar Silver Certificate Windom Note
Obverse: Bust of William Windom, United States Secretary of the Treasury 1881-1884 and 1889-1891.
Reverse: Ornate floral design.
Signatures: (as depicted) William Starke Rosecrans, Register of the Treasury and Enos H. Nebeker, Treasurer of the United States.
Inscriptions: Silver Certificate - Series 1891 - Act of August 4 1886 - Bureau of Engraving and Printing - Register Of The Treasury - Treasurer Of The United States - This Certifies That There Have Been Deposited In The Treasury Of The United States Two Silver Dollars Payable To Bearer On Demand Washington, D.C. - United States Silver Certificate - Amer Septent Sigil Thesaur - This Certificate Is Receivable For Customs, Taxes and All Public Dues, And When So Received May Be Reissued
History: There were only four different two dollar silver certificates printed by The United States. These were issued between 1886 and 1899. The two dollar bill we are looking at here is from the series of 1891.
Nickname: Most collectors refer to 1891 $2 silver certificates as Windoms or a Windom; Windom being the man pictured on the 1891 $2 bill. William Windom was the 33rd treasurer of the United States. He was also a famous politician who served the state of Minnesota. He only appeared on paper money for one year. So when you say Windom it won’t get confused with any other issues.
Other Facts: It is interesting to note that for some reason the 1891 $2 silver certificate is a complete redesign from the 1886 series. One, five, ten, and twenty dollar silver certificates that were printed in 1891 all have the same design as the same denominations from 1886. However, the 1886 $2 silver certificate features a portrait of Winfield Scott Hancock and the 1891 $2 bill has a portrait of William Windom. William Windom died in 1891. So I guess it was decided that in order to honor him they would kick Hancock off the two dollar bill and put Windom up instead. It is amazing how fast the government used to move back then.
United States 2 Dollar Bills
United States 2 Dollar Bill, Silver Certificate Windom Note, Series 1891
William Windom, United States Secretary of the Treasury
William Windom (May 10, 1827 – January 29, 1891) was an American politician from Minnesota. He served as U.S. Representative from 1859 to 1869, and as U.S. Senator from 1870 to January 1871, from March 1871 to March 1881, and from November 1881 to 1883. He also served as Secretary of the Treasury from March to November 1881, and from 1889 to 1891. He was a Republican. He was the great-grandfather of the actor named after him, William Windom.
Early life
Windom was born in Belmont County, Ohio. He moved to Minnesota Territory in 1855 and settled in the town of Winona on the banks of the Mississippi River in southeastern Minnesota.
Political career
Windom was elected U.S. Representative in 1859, filling one of Minnesota's two at-large seats. He was re-elected in 1861, again at-large. By 1862, Minnesota had established Congressional districts, and in that year he was re-elected from Minnesota's 1st congressional district; and also in 1864 and 1866. He was not a candidate in 1868.
Senator Daniel S. Norton died on July 13, 1870. On July 15, Governor Alexander Ramsey appointed Windom to the resulting vacancy, to serve until the legislature elected a replacement. When the legislature met in January 1871, they elected Ozora P. Stearns to serve the last 41 days of the current term (January 22-March 4), and elected Windom to serve the next full term, beginning March 4. Windom was re-elected in 1877, and served until March 7, 1881 when he resigned to become Secretary of the Treasury.
In the United States Senate, Windom was recognized as a strong advocate of railroad regulation. Indeed, in December 1872, he became the chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Transportation Routes to the Seaboard to investigate transportation practices. The select committee's report was submitted to the Senate on April 24, 1874, and was ordered to be printed the same day. The analytical report, among other conclusions and recommendations, recommended a Bureau of Commerce; it would have all the basic elements of the Interstate Commerce Commission, as created thirteen years later, in January 1887, and other follow-on. Almost 35 years later the Progressive Era Inland Waterways Commission, looking into similar issues and many new ones, would recognize the "Report of the Windom Select Committee" as the third epoch in the movement toward developing the inland waterways of the country.
In 1880, Windom sought the Republican nomination for President. But at the Republican National Convention, he received only 10 votes on the first ballot. The convention deadlocked, and after over 30 ballots began to consider choosing a "dark horse" candidate, such as Windom. But instead of Windom, they nominated James A. Garfield, who was subsequently elected President.
On March 7, 1881, Windom resigned from the Senate and was appointed Secretary of the Treasury by Garfield, taking office the next day.
Windom served as Treasury Secretary until November 13, when he resigned. On October 26, he was again elected Senator by the Minnesota Legislature, this time to fill the vacancy left by his own resignation. He re-assumed his Senate seat on November 15 and served until the end of his term on March 4, 1883. He sought re-election in 1882, but was defeated.
In 1883, he moved to New York City, where he practiced law until 1889. After President Benjamin Harrison was elected in 1888, he appointed Windom as Secretary of the Treasury. Taking office on March 8, 1889, Windom served as Treasury Secretary until his death on January 29, 1891. During the last year of his treasury service he purchased 1,145,577 acres of land from the railroad for 3 cents per acre, when others were paying $5.
Memorials
Windom's engraved portrait appeared on the $2 denomination of U.S. silver certificates from 1891 to 1896. The revenue cutter USS Windom was named for him, as was a World War II Liberty Ship.
The city of Windom in Cottonwood County, Minnesota is named for him.
Windom Park in Winona, Minnesota is named after him.
Windom Park Neighborhood in Minneapolis, Minnesota is named after him.
William Windom is the namesake of Windom Peak, in Colorado.