Bullion, small Vignette #276 Die Proof on india, Homer Lee Bank Note Co.

The Homer Lee Bank Note Company (HLBNC) was founded in 1891 and was a producer of postage stamps and currency. It was founded in New York City by artist, engraver and inventor Homer Lee. HLBNC grew in the 1880s and 1890s by producing engraved stock and bond certificates, primarily for railroads and mining companies. In 1883, HLBNC won the competition to engrave and print the first postal notes. Homer Lee hired Thomas F. Morris—perhaps best known for his later work as the government’s Chief of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing—from the American Bank Note Company to be his Superintendent. HLBNC produced currency and postage stamps for numerous foreign governments before amassing debts and being taken over by the American Bank Note Company in 1891.