Section 16A. Any officer authorized to sign bonds or notes of a city, town or district may execute such bonds or notes or cause them to be executed by a facsimile signature in lieu of his manual signature, provided that at least one signature required or permitted to be placed thereon shall be manually subscribed. In the case of registered bonds issued in exchange for or in replacement of prior bonds, no manually subscribed signature of an authorized officer shall be required if the signature of an authorized signer of a bank, trust company, or other banking or financial institution acting as trustee, authenticating agent, transfer agent or similar agent is manually subscribed. The facsimile signature of an authorized officer on a bond or note shall have the same legal effect as his manual signature.