Higgins Museum of National Bank Notes, Currency museum in Okoboji, Iowa, US
The Higgins Museum of National Bank Notes in Okoboji contains thousands of historical bank notes from three Midwestern states, organized and displayed in dedicated cases throughout the building. Each note tells a story about regional banking and the people who issued them.
Founded in 1978 by William R. Higgins Jr., the museum grew from a personal passion into the largest permanent collection of National Bank Notes in the country. It preserves a record of how regional banks across America operated and issued currency during different eras.
The museum features artifacts including a bank teller cage and a spider printing press on loan from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
The museum is accessible on foot and has enough space to browse the exhibitions at a relaxed pace. Plan to spend a few hours exploring the different sections of the collection comfortably.
Some notes in the collection feature historical American events such as Columbus arriving, the Pilgrims embarking, and the signing of independence. These images served as ways for bank note designers to express patriotism and national pride on currency.
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