North Dakota was celebrating the state’s 50th birthday during this time in 1939. On this date, the Bismarck Tribune reported a special order for one of the event’s novelties. The story read: “Arvid Wiklund, chairman of the Novelties committee for North Dakota’s Golden Jubilee, received an order from the Chase National bank of New York, one of the largest in the world, for a set of [our souvenir wooden] nickels.

“The order was received from Vernon L. Brown, assistant curator of the New York bank’s money collection division. North Dakota’s wooden nickels will be added to the bank’s money collection, reported to be the largest and most complete in the world.”

Source: Bismarck Tribune. 21 Aug, 1939: 1.

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