Up for sale is a rare original antique banking document from Henry Elling, Banker, Virginia City, Montana Territory — one of the most iconic figures in frontier Western finance.
This is a printed interest account ledger sheet, completed in manuscript ink, recording 31 daily debit entries running down the left column, with a column total at the bottom. The account is headed \"Interest Account With\" followed by a handwritten account holder name (partially legible — appears to read \"S. M. Alford & Co.\" or similar). The date line reads \"March 1899\" (or possibly 1880s — the trailing digit is partially obscured), placing this squarely in the heart of the Montana Territory banking era.
The document features Henry Elling\'s bold ornate letterhead printed at the top — \"Henry Elling, Banker, Virginia City, M.T.\" — in the distinctive typographic style of the period. The sheet is a pre-printed columnar form with red ruling lines dividing the Dr. and Cr. columns, filled entirely in period ink. A summary notation at the bottom references interest calculations.
Henry Elling was one of the most prominent frontier bankers in Montana Territory, operating in Virginia City — the territorial capital and center of the Montana gold rush economy. Documents bearing his imprint are genuine artifacts of the American West and are highly sought after by collectors of Western Americana, frontier banking history, and Montana Territory ephemera.
Condition: Very good for age. Paper toning consistent with 130+ years of age. No tears or losses noted. Ink is clear and legible throughout.
Item details:
- Type: Antique manuscript banking document / interest account ledger sheet
- Issuer: Henry Elling, Banker, Virginia City, Montana Territory
- Approximate date: 1880s–1890s
- Size: Approximately 4\" x 11\" (tall narrow columnar format)
- Material: Period paper with printed red ruling
A fantastic addition to any Montana Territory, Western Americana, or frontier banking collection. Ships carefully protected in a rigid mailer.
