Obsolete Currency 3 Dollar Polar Bear Note


Obsolete Notes 3 Dollar Polar Bear Note

Obsolete Currency 3 Dollar Polar Bear Note The Continental Bank, Boston, Massachusetts

Top center, ‘’The White Bear’’ as engraved by DeWitt Clinton Hay after Felix O.C. Darley. Within the pack ice, four men in small boat about to be turned over by a polar bear. Lower left, Massachusetts bank seal. Lower right, General Warren. Machine numbered 66. Listed as No. 24 in 100 Greatest American Currency Notes by Dave Bowers and David Sundman.

Joseph Warren
  Dr. Joseph Warren (June 11, 1741 – June 17, 1775) was an American doctor who played a leading role in American Patriot organizations in Boston in early days of the American Revolution, eventually serving as president of the revolutionary Massachusetts Provincial Congress. Warren enlisted Paul Revere and William Dawes on April 18, 1775, to leave Boston and spread the alarm that the British garrison in Boston was setting out to raid the town of Concord and arrest rebel leaders John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Warren participated in the next day's Battles of Lexington and Concord, which are commonly considered to be the opening engagements of the American Revolutionary War.
   Warren had been commissioned a Major General in the colony's militia shortly before the June 17, 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill. Rather than exercising his rank, Warren served in the battle as a private soldier, and was killed in combat when British troops stormed the redoubt atop Breed's Hill. His death, immortalized in John Trumbull's painting, The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17, 1775, galvanized the rebel forces, and he has been memorialized in many place names in the United States.

$20 Dollar Continental Currency Note, May 10, 1775

20 Dollar Continental Currency Note 1775

Early American currency 20 Dollars

$20 Dollar Continental Currency Note, May 10, 1775, Marbled Paper

Signed by Shee and Lawrence. Printed on polychrome marbled edge paper supplied by Benjamin Franklin. Imprint of Hall and Sellers. Face and back emblem motifs designed by Franklin. A very important American currency type. Listed as No.79 in the Bowers & Sundman ‘’100 Greatest Currency Notes’’.

The emblem on the front shows a strong wind creating waves on the ocean with the motto "Vi concitatae" (It assults with a violent force). On the back is a emblem with the shining sun and ships on a calm sea with the motto "Cessante vento conquiescemus" (When the wind subsides we shall rest). Newman has discovered a preliminary sketch for the front emblem in the papers of Benjamin Franklin. The $20 bill from this first emission was unique in that it was a different size from all other continental currency and was made on different paper. It was printed by Hall and Sellers on a thin white paper with a marbled left border that had been made by Benjamin Franklin. Unlike the other bills they were printed individually rather than in sheets. Also, since this note was the only Contenental Congress not that did not include border cuts, it was the only Continental Congress variety that did not include the phrase "The United Colonies" (later changed to "The United States").



United States 20 Dollar Bills




















20 Dollars : United States Military Payment Certificates US MPC







Continental Currency One Dollar May 10, 1775

Continental Dollar 1775United States Continental Paper Currency
Continental Currency One Dollar, Continental Congress resolution of May 10, 1775

Signed by Wm. Jackson and Andrew Bunner. The first Continental currency note and first United States government $1 bill. The numbering and first signature in red while the second signature is in black ink. The emblem on the front shows an acanthus plant with a large weighted pot or basket pressing it down, however the acanthus leaves grow up around the pot. Above is the motto: "Depressa resurgit" (Having been pressed down, it rises up again). The nature print on the back contains a ragweed leaf and two willow leaves. Paper contains blue threads and mica flakes.


May 10, 1775
An emission totaling $3,000,000 payable in Spanish milled dollars, or the equivalent in gold or silver, was authorized by the Continental Congress resolution of May 10, 1775 and approved by resolutions of June 23-24 and July 25, 1775 and put into circulation in August. The money, for "The United Colonies", was to be used to pay war expenses and was to be redeemed from taxes collected by the colonies. The paper, made at Ivy Mills in Chester County, Pennsylvania, contained blue fibers and mica flakes and was similar to the type used on Pennsylvania currency. The exception was the unique $20 denomination which was printed on paper made by Benjamin Franklin (thin white paper that had the left side polychromed by marbling). This bill is also a different size from the other denominations. The bills were printed by Hall and Sellers in Philadelphia using border cuts, emblem cuts, nature prints and hand set type. Apparently, thirty six of the borders were designed and cut by David Rittenhouse. The bills were signed with red and brown ink and numbered in dark red ink. Counterfeit detectors were on pink paper except for the $20, which was on blue paper. Denominations printed were the: $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7, $8, $20 and $30.

Continental Currency One-Sixth of a Dollar 1776 “Fugio Note,” Spelled “CURRENCEY”

Continental Currency One-Sixth of a Dollar 1776 Fugio Note$1/6 Fugio Fractional Note Continental Congress 1776

Continental Currency One-Sixth of a Dollar 1776 “Fugio Note,” Spelled “CURRENCEY”
$1/6 Fugio Fractional Note Continental Congress. February 17, 1776.

Plate B. Signed by Phillip Kinsey. Imprint of Hall and Sellers. Face and back motifs created by Franklin. Face emblem, at right, sundial with blazing sun shining, FUGIO in left circular border, MIND YOUR BUSINESS in the exergue. Border cuts on all sides with obligation in left center. Back with interlocked thirteen link chain with names of the first colonies, this encircling rayed central motto WE ARE ONE within circular border with AMERICAN CONGRESS. These powerful Franklin inspired motifs created from his early Poor Richard’s almanacs. Fractional denomination notes, $1/6 to $2/3, are the only ones seen in the entire Continental Congress series. They are fractional Continental Dollar notes utilizing the Franklin’s Fugio design.


An emission totaling $4,000,000 payable in Spanish milled dollars, or the equivalent in gold or silver, was authorized by the Continental Congress resolution of February 10, 1776. Of this $1,000,000 was reserved for the first national fractional currency. The front design on the fractional notes includes the first use of the "FUGIO" (I fly) legend and sundial as well as the "Mind your Business" legend. The back shows the thirteen linked rings representing the colonies and the legends "We are one" and "American Congress". Eric Newman has discovered these designs were created by Benjamin Franklin (see his indispensable The Early Paper Money of America p. 53). Note that on the fractional bills the dots in the corners of the front design reflect the denomination, with one dot designating a sixth of a dollar, two dots for a third, three dots for $1/2 and four dots for $2/3. Also, fractional denominations come in plates A, B and C. Again it was Newman who discovered the devices and border designs for the fractional bills were cut by Elisha Gallaudet, who also designed the Continental Currency coin. There is one signer, in red ink, on the fractional bills and two signers, using red and brown ink, on the dollar denominations. Counterfeit detectors for the dollar denominations were made on blue paper. The Franklin designs were adopted for the Continental Currency coin made a few months later and for the 1787 Fugio cents. The paper, made at Ivy Mills in Chester County, Pennsylvania, contained blue fibers and mica flakes. Printed by Hall and Sellers in Philadelphia. Denominations printed were the: $1/6, $1/3, $1/2, $2/3, $1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6, $7 and $8.

Colonial Currency 20 Shillings Massachusetts Note, Series of 1690


Colonial Currency 20 Shillings Massachusetts Note 1690

20 Shillings Massachusetts Note, February 3, 1690 [1691 New Style] Massachusetts Bay Colony. Raised Denomination Bill.

In 1690, the Massachusetts Bay Colony issued the first Colonial currency. Other colonies soon began to issue their own paper currency. Usually denominated in Spanish Milled Dollars, Colonial notes were also denominated in British shillings, pounds, and pence. In 1764, the British declared Colonial currency illegal.

No.1009. Signed by John Phillips, Penn Townsend, and Adam Winthrop. Printed on thin, but sturdy laid paper. 10.5cm by 13.5cm. Dimensionally, a "tall" style Bill of Credit of the period. Printed in black, on both sides, from engraved copper plates. Curvilinear scroll indent at the top face and top back, the verso wider and more spaced. The rest of the back is blank. At the lower left is the Colony seal with Indian holding arrow and bow, mirror-image slogan COME OVER & HELP US within patterned oval surrounded by motto SIGILLVM: GVB: &: SOCS: DE MATTACHVSETS BAY. IN:NOV: ANGLIA: (Seal of the Government of Massachusetts Bay in New England). As with all the known examples of this 1690/91 issue, this is a "Raised" denomination from a genuine note. The note was raised from a Two Shillings Six Pence note to "Twenty Shillings" by using the engraved "Tw," and erasing the "o" then adding the rest of "enty" on the first line; on the next line, "Six Pence" was replaced with "Shillings." At the top right center, the "2 6s" was altered to "20 S" as well. In this second authorization, there were no Twenty Shilling notes, or Ten Shillings bills for that matter, the latter raised from genuine Two Shillings notes (see the census). The Newman Plate Note. Pictured on page 185 of the fifty. Publicly exhibited at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. 
Historical Notes 
Although a private bank was organized in Boston in 1686, it failed to issue any bills. The first Bills of Credit came in an emission of December, 1690 following the succession of William III and the fall of Governor Sir Edmund Andros. Andros, arrested and deported to England for trial for his loyalty to James II, later became Governor of Virginia. In some respects, the origin of Bills of Credit in North America is the result of the gross miscalculation of the leaders of an invasion of Canada and the failure to find sufficient plunder to pay off their mutinous soldiers and sailors. Commanded by Sir William Phips, a combined naval and land invasion of Canada was planned for the summer of 1690. However, news of the plans reached Quebec, which received reinforcements in time to thwart the attack. In addition, the organizational delay forced the invasion fleet to retreat from the St. Lawrence for fear of being frozen in. Overall, the operation was a disaster. With winter coming the entire force retreated back to Boston, leaving the government to face the consequences of this failure. Nothing had been paid for in advance, including supplies, charter fees for private vessels, and most importantly, pay for the soldiers and sailors. It was fully expected that the usual looting would more than pay for the expedition and leave a profit for those who stayed home to count future revenues. As one contemporary commentator noted, "...The soldiers were upon the point of mutiny for want of wages. It was utterly impractical to raise in a few days such a sum of money as would be necessary." [Hutchinson, History of Massachusetts, Vol.I, p.356]. The government could not look to the local merchants to float a loan of three or four thousand pounds because the new government did not have the full support of the colony and its instability was not helped by the throngs of mutinous soldiers looking to be paid for their military service. The colony had to settle its debts speedily and spur the flow of commerce if the government's future was to be secured. The solution, effected by the Act of December 10, 1690, was to print Bills of Credit in an approved form and in amounts of no less than Five Shillings (the second issue allowed bills at Two Shillings) nor more than Five Pounds. They were to be equal in value to money received by the treasurer and his subordinates in public payments. The first issue, December 10, 1690, was for 7,000 Pounds Sterling. The second, of February 3, 1690 (1691 new style calendar), was for 40,000 Pounds Sterling. The bills were a success and filled the financial coffers in this emergency. However, some of those bills were altered upwards in denomination. The existing examples are raised from lower denomination genuine bills. The format, obligations and payment structure were used on all issues until the 1737 New Tenor notes. The majority of these 1690 bills were redeemed for specie, tax payments or future notes as attested by the great rarity of these first North American bills. 
By 1692 major trials for witchcraft were proceeding in Salem. This may have been about land, status and jealousy issues more than anything. Close to twenty people were hanged. Meanwhile, for the crime of disruption of Colonial commerce and the altering of these 1690/1 bills (no altered notes are known of the December 10, 1690 act notes), the perpetrators not only didn't forfeit their lives (as would have been the case in England), but pretty much were allowed to go on their way. Counterfeiters were always busy working on coinage (clipping, etc.) when given the chance. The new bills, representing cruder productions to a populace who had never seen paper money before, seemed to be easy bait for men like Robert Fenton and Benjamin Pierce. They were charged in August, 1691 with altering several notes to 10 and 20 Shillings from lower denominations and then selling them for cash at 14 Shillings per Pound. Case record documents link Fenton to counterfeiting in Pennsylvania in 1683 and also include many depositions of those defrauded and the conviction documents. The documents concerning this court case were offered for public auction sale by NASCA in the November, 1979 Brookdale sale. This priceless group brought $2,000.00 back then. Interestingly, for this particular crime, the punishments were not as severe or grotesque as would be meted out in the mother country or later in the Colonial era for note altering and counterfeiting (a 1740 Rhode Island case featured branding and ear cropping for example). Fenton was required to compensate double damages, received three day pillory duty and faced imprisonment until compensation was made for costs and damages. Pierce had many friends (46 neighbors against his conviction) and was allowed to appeal his case. Despite the attentions of forgers like Fenton these notes were still needed for commerce and would not be retired completely for awhile. After the July 2, 1692 order, the notes were to be endorsed on the back by Jeremiah Dummer or Francis Burroughs for validation under the new Colonial provincial status. The December 15, 1692 Act gave these bills legal tender status whether endorsed or not. In 1693, all bills paid out were to be endorsed and by 1693-94, most of the bills were to be redeemed. From time to time, a bill would be re-issued, but after June 22, 1694, all unendorsed bills were called in. Finally, the reissue of all bills was prohibited on November 21, 1702. 
The Census of Known Examples of December 10, 1690 Massachusetts Colony Bills
1) Five Shillings. No.174 [?}. Genuine bill and considered Unique by most experts. In the Essex Institute, Salem, Massachusetts. Appears Good to Very Good, rounded corner, body hole, small edge chips. Yellowed paper. The Newman Plate Note, all Editions. Plated in 100 Greatest American Currency Notes by Bowers and Sundman. A Census of Known Examples of the February 3, 1690/91 Massachusetts Bills of Credit 
1) Ten Shillings. No.832. Raised from a Two Shillings genuine bill. Very Fine to Extremely Fine, minor stain. Ex Smythe CPMX Auction Sale, February 19, 1999, lot 1025. Purchased by a New England area private collector. This is the only Ten Shillings raised bill we are aware of in a public or private collection. This may be Unique. 2) Twenty Shillings. No.7. Raised from a Two Shillings Six Pence genuine bill. Very Fine to Extremely Fine, minor back stains. Ex Smythe CPMX Auction Sale, February 19, 1999, lot 1026. Purchased by the same New England area private collector. 
3) Twenty Shillings. No.112 (the "2" weak?, or 110). Raised from a Two Shillings Six Pence genuine bill. Appears Very Fine to Extremely Fine, two horizontal folds. Currently in The Massachusetts Historical Society. Plated in their monograph Massachusetts Paper Money, 1690-1780: The Collection of the Massachusetts Historic Society. 4) Twenty Shillings. No.419. Raised from a Two Shillings Six Pence genuine bill. Appears to be Very Fine, with some edge flaws or foxing marks. The National Numismatic Collection example in The Smithsonian. Obtained from the late Leonard "Lenny" Finn who reportedly had two examples. He was so proud of this note that he made small note pad sheets from it to pass out or send short personal letters. The complete pedigree is unknown, but it was first published in Harper's Weekly in the late 1850's in an article about the American Banknote Company bound into the George Peyton's Treatise on the Detection of Counterfeit Banknotes... The note is plated on page 198 of The Beauty and Lore of Coins, Currency, and Medals by Elvira and Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli. 
5) Twenty Shillings. No.701. Raised from a Two Shillings Six Pence genuine bill. Nearly Extremely Fine, rim mounted on card stock. The F.C.C. Boyd Note, plated in all editions of Newman. Ex John J. Ford Jr. Collection Part III: Lot 501 at $161,000.00. Discounting the rim mounting, perhaps the finest known. 
6) Twenty Shillings. No.1009. Raised from Two Shillings Six Pence genuine bill. The present example. About Very Fine, bright and vivid from the face. The back shows a distinct vertical fold and two other harder to see folds. The left hand margin has a tear and a few other flaws. From a private collection. 
7) Presumably, Twenty Shillings. No.Unknown. The second, rumored, Lenny Finn note. Several sources have confirmed that Mr. Finn owned two 1690 notes in the 1960's. One went to the Smithsonian and the other is grade and location unknown.

Confederate Currency 1861 $1000 Dollar Montgomery Note CSA T-1

Confederate Currency paper money 1861 1000 Dollars Montgomery Note CSA T-1
Confederate Currency One Thousand Dollar Montgomery 1861 T-1
Confederate Currency 1861 $1000 Dollar Montgomery Note CSA T-1

Description:  This note features vignettes of John C. Calhoun on the left and Andrew Jackson on the right. At $1000, it is the highest denomination of the Confederate notes and is considered very scarce because only 607 were ever printed.
The front of the note also features the text "Patented April 23rd 1860" and "National Bank Note Company"

Inscriptions: "Twelve months after date the Confederate States of America will pay to bearer One Thousand Dollars with interest at Ten cents per day/ Montgomery/ Alex B. Clitherall/ E.C. Elmore" "Receivable in payment of all dues except export duties"

John C. Calhoun
John Caldwell Calhoun (March 18, 1782 – March 31, 1850) was an American statesman and political theorist from South Carolina, and the seventh Vice President of the United States from 1825 to 1832. He is remembered for strongly defending slavery and for advancing the concept of minority rights in politics, which he did in the context of defending Southern values from perceived Northern threats. He began his political career as a nationalist, modernizer, and proponent of a strong national government and protective tariffs. By the late 1820s, his views reversed and he became a leading proponent of states' rights, limited government, nullification, and opposition to high tariffs—he saw Northern acceptance of these policies as the only way to keep the South in the Union. His beliefs and warnings heavily influenced the South's secession from the Union in 1860–1861.
  Calhoun began his political career in the House of Representatives. As a prominent leader of the war hawk faction, Calhoun strongly supported the War of 1812 to defend American honor against British infractions of American independence and neutrality during the Napoleonic Wars. He then served as Secretary of War under President James Monroe, and in this position reorganized and modernized the War Department. Calhoun was a candidate for the presidency in the 1824 election. After failing to gain support, he let his name be put forth as a candidate for vice president. The Electoral College elected Calhoun for vice president by an overwhelming majority. He served under John Quincy Adams and continued under Andrew Jackson, who defeated Adams in the election of 1828.
  Calhoun had a difficult relationship with Jackson primarily due to the Nullification Crisis and the Petticoat affair. In contrast with his previous nationalism, Calhoun vigorously supported South Carolina's right to nullify federal tariff legislation he believed unfairly favored the North, putting him into conflict with unionists such as Jackson. In 1832, with only a few months remaining in his second term, he resigned as vice president and entered the Senate. He sought the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 1844, but lost to surprise nominee James K. Polk, who went on to become president. Calhoun served as Secretary of State under John Tyler from 1844 to 1845. As Secretary of State, he supported the annexation of Texas as a means to extend the slave power, and helped settle the Oregon boundary dispute with Britain. He then returned to the Senate, where he opposed the Mexican–American War, the Wilmot Proviso, and the Compromise of 1850 before his death in 1850. Calhoun often served as a virtual party-independent who variously aligned as needed with Democrats and Whigs.
  Later in life, Calhoun became known as the "cast-iron man" for his rigid defense of Southern beliefs and practices. His concept of republicanism emphasized approval of slavery and minority rights, as particularly embodied by the Southern states—he owned "dozens of slaves in Fort Hill, South Carolina". Calhoun also asserted that slavery, rather than being a "necessary evil", was a "positive good", benefiting both slaves and slave owners. To protect minority rights against majority rule, he called for a concurrent majority whereby the minority could sometimes block proposals that it felt infringed on their liberties. To this end, Calhoun supported states' rights and nullification, through which states could declare null and void federal laws that they viewed as unconstitutional. Calhoun was one of the "Great Triumvirate" or the "Immortal Trio" of Congressional leaders, along with his Congressional colleagues Daniel Webster and Henry Clay. In 1957, a Senate Committee headed by Senator John F. Kennedy selected Calhoun as one of the five greatest United States Senators of all time.

Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American soldier and statesman who served as the seventh President of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, Jackson gained fame as a general in the United States Army and served in both houses of Congress. As president, Jackson sought to advance the rights of the "common man" against a "corrupt aristocracy" and to preserve the Union.
  Born in the Waxhaws, Jackson became a lawyer in the Western District of North Carolina (now part of Tennessee) and married Rachel Donelson Robards. He served briefly in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate representing Tennessee. After resigning, he was appointed a justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court, serving from 1798 until 1804. Jackson purchased a property that became known as the Hermitage, and became a wealthy, slaveowning planter. In 1801, he was appointed colonel of the Tennessee militia and was elected its commander the following year. He led Tennessee militia and U.S. Army regulars during the Creek War of 1813–1814, winning a major victory at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The subsequent Treaty of Fort Jackson required the Creek surrender of vast lands in present-day Alabama and Georgia. Jackson won a decisive victory in the War of 1812 over the British at the Battle of New Orleans, making him a national hero. After the war, Jackson led U.S. forces in the First Seminole War, which helped affect the annexation of Florida from Spain. Jackson briefly served as Florida's first territorial governor before winning election as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee. Jackson ran for president in 1824, winning a plurality of the popular and electoral vote. As no candidate won a majority of the electoral vote, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams in a contingent election. In reaction to the alleged "corrupt bargain" between Adams and Henry Clay and the ambitious agenda of President Adams, Jackson's supporters founded the Democratic Party.
  Jackson ran again in 1828, defeating Adams in a landslide. Jackson faced the threat of secession by South Carolina over the "Tariff of Abominations." The crisis was defused when the tariff was amended, and Jackson threatened the use of military force if South Carolina attempted to secede. Congress, led by Clay, tried to reauthorize the Second Bank of the United States; Jackson regarded the Bank as a corrupt institution and vetoed the renewal of its charter. After a lengthy struggle, Jackson and his allies thoroughly dismantled the Bank. In 1835, Jackson became the only president to completely pay off the national debt, fulfilling a longtime goal. His presidency marked the beginning of the ascendancy of the "spoils system" in American politics. In 1830, Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, which relocated most members of the Native American tribes in the South to Indian Territory. The relocation process dispossessed the Indians and resulted in widespread death and sickness. In foreign affairs, Jackson's administration concluded a "most favored nation" treaty with Great Britain, settled claims of damages against France from the Napoleonic Wars, and recognized the Republic of Texas. He vehemently opposed the rising trend of abolitionism.
  In his retirement, Jackson remained active in Democratic Party politics, supporting the presidencies of Martin Van Buren and James K. Polk. Though fearful of its effects on the slavery debate, Jackson advocated the annexation of Texas, which was accomplished shortly before his death. Jackson was widely revered in the United States, but his reputation has declined since the civil rights movement, largely due to his role in Indian removal and support for slavery. Surveys of historians and scholars have ranked Jackson between 6th and 18th most successful among United States presidents.


Confederate Currency $100 Dollar Montgomery Note CSA T-3

Confederate Currency 100 Dollars Montgomery Note CSA T-3
T-3 1861 Montgomery $100 Confederate Paper Money
Confederate Currency $100 Dollar Montgomery Note CSA T-3

Description:  This $100 Confederate bank note shows a railroad train at the station in the center with a standing woman in flowing robes (Columbia) holding a crown of laurels on the left side of the note, 100 over scalloped counters at right. Imprint of National Bank Note Company. 1606 of these $100 Confederate notes were issued, but are still considered very scarce. To many, the $100 Montgomery note is the first in a long line of simply beautiful works of art that served as currency. All of the Montgomery series of notes were printed by the New York Bank Note Company in New York City before the outbreak of hostilities between the North and South. Dated May 16, 1861 and signed by Clitherall and Elmore, this note has a May 20 endorsement on back by Captain R. Williams.

Inscriptions: "Twelve months after date The Confederate States of America will pay to bearer One Hundred Dollars with interest at one cent per day/ Montgomery/ Patented April 23rd 1860/ Receivable in Payment of all Dues Except Export Duties/ National Bank Note Company"
Signed by Alex B. Clitherall as Register and E.C. Elmore as Treasurer.

Confederate Currency 1861 $50 Dollar Montgomery Note T-4

Confederate Currency 1861 50 Dollar Montgomery Note T-4
T-4 1861 Montgomery $50 Confederate Paper Money
Confederate Currency 1861 $50 Dollar Montgomery Note T-4.

Description:  This $50 Confederate bank note shows three slaves working in a field. Green panel protector with L over green scalloped counters. 50 over black scalloped counters at left and right. Dated 14, 1861, and signed by Clitherall as Register and Elmore as Treasurer. Issued in red ink on verso by Captain Thomas Jackson on July 16, 1861. Imprint of National Bank Note Company. 1606 of these $50 Confederate bank notes were issued, for which approximately 160 are known today.

Inscriptions: "Twelve months after date The Confederate States of America will pay to bearer Fifty Dollars with interest at half a cent per day/ Montgomery/ National Bank Note Company/ Receivable in Payment of all Dues Except Export Duties"
Signed by Alex B. Clitherall as Register and E.C. Elmore as Treasurer.


This serial number has long been recorded in the census records of Montgomery notes, however, without mention of a grade. Perhaps this note was purchased from Grover Criswell back in the 1960s, and Grover only remembered to write down the serial.

Confederate Currency 1861 $100 Dollar CSA Note Locomotive Train T-5

Confederate Currency 1861 100 Dollar Bill CSA Note Locomotive Train T-5
T-5 1861 Richmond $100 Confederate Paper Money
T-5. Confederate Currency 1861 $100 Dollar Bill Issued by Future CSA Major General M.L. Smith.

Description:  This $100 Confederate bank note is printed on paper containing red fibers. It shows a train rounding a bend in the center with a standing woman in flowing robes (Justice) on the left and a standing woman in robes with a headdress and holding a spear (Minerva) on the right. 5798 of these $100 Confederate bank notes were issued, but they are considered scarce.

Inscriptions: "Twelve months after date, The Confederate States of America will pay to bearer One Hundred Dollars with interest at one cent per day/ Richmond/ Southern Bank Note Company/ Receivable in Payment of all Dues Except Export Duties" Signed by Robert Tyler as Register and E.C. Elmore as Treasurer.


The T-5 $100 represent the first notes issued at Richmond, Virginia after the relocation of the Confederate capitol from Montgomery, Alabama. These were high quality notes produced by the Southern Bank Note Company in New Orleans, Louisiana.

This note was paid out September 25, 1861 by Major M.L. Smith. Smith was one of one of only a few Northern-born generals to fight for the Confederacy. He served as an engineer in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War. Afterward he settled in Florida where he raised a family with Georgia born wife. He resigned from the army April 1, 1861 and was commissioned a major of engineers in the Confederate States Army thereafter. In 1862 he was appointed colonel of the 21st Louisiana and helped plan the defenses around New Orleans. Later he was promoted to Major General and was responsible for constructing the defenses of Vicksburg, Mississippi and Mobile, Alabama. He surrendered at Athens, Georgia in May 1865. He died the next year on July 29, 1866.

Confederate Currency 1861 $50 Dollar CSA Note George Washington T-8

Confederate Currency 1861 50 Dollar CSA Note bill George Washington T-8
Confederate Currency 1861 $50 Dollar CSA Note George Washington T-8

Obverse: Bust of George Washington center. Tellus seated at lower left. This variety comes on thick bond paper with "for" handwritten before "Treasr." The commonly seen blue stamped "C" is seen at left. Some think this was a cancellation stamp. This note was printed with black ink and has no design on the back.
Reverse: Blank.

Inscriptions: "Two years after date The Confederate States of America will pay to Bearer Fifty Dollars/ Richmond, Va. July 25th 1861/ Receivable in payment of all dues except export dues/ Refundable in Confederate States Stock bearing Eight per Cent interest/ for Register Hoyer & Ludwig Richmond, VA"


Total issue was 123,564. Prior to producing this note, Hoyer & Ludwig used these same vignettes in a similar arrangement on a $ 1.50 note of May 1, 1861 printed for the Southern Manufacturers Bank in Richmond. Subsequently, the vignettes were again used, but in a transposed arrangement on State of Florida notes issued during the fall of 1861. This note is occasionally found stamped in green with a “C” inside an oval as illustrated. Its exact use is unknown. While several explanations have been advanced, none answer the question of “Why this issue only?” A small capital “P” in green also appears stamped on some of these notes, as well as Nos. 8 and 10. Varieties of this marking and others such as CST and GIC exist, which raises the question of whether they are contemporary markings by Confederate officials. In any case, the most commonly seen are notes stamped with a “C,” which increases the value approximately 15% to 20%, while those with “P” are worth an additional 25% or more. There are nine varieties of this note not including markings described above. These result from differences in plate letters (B, Bb, C), plain, thin or bond papers, and “For” written or printed. There is also a difference in the location of the oval frame of Washington’s portrait over the “5” — some 5s are more completely covered. This makes additional minor varieties.

Confederate Currency 1861 $20 Dollar Bill Sailing Ship T-9

Confederate Currency 1861 20 Dollar Bill Sailing Ship T-9
July 25, 1861 Confederate $20 Bill from Richmond
Confederate Currency 1861 $20 Dollar Bill Sailing Ship T-9

Description:  This $20 Confederate note shows a three-masted ship sailing in the center, figure 20 at left. This note was printed with black ink and has no design on the back.  Total issue was 264,988. Printed by Hoyer and Ludwig of Richmond VA.

There are 13 varieties of this note due to differences in plate letters (B, C, Cc, Ccc and D), “For” printed or written, plain, bond or thin papers, and differences in the denomination vignettes. Also known stamped with “P”

Inscriptions: "Two years after date The Confederate States of America will pay to bearer Twenty Dollars/ Richmond, Va. July 25th 1861/ Receivable in payment of all dues except export dues/ Fundable in Confederate States Stock bearing Eight per Cent interest/ for Register Hoyer & Ludwig Richmond, VA."


Notes - During the printing of this issue, the officials of the CSA government realized that the actual register and treasurer could not possibly sign all the confederate money that was being printed, so substitute signers were used to sign for the officials. Therefore, that makes several varieties of this type, with the for being written on some notes and the for being printed on others and some with the treasurer is different places.

Confederate Money 1861 Ten Dollars Note Liberty & Eagle T-10

Confederate Money 1861 Ten Dollars Note
Confederate Money 1861 Ten Dollars Note Liberty & Eagle T-10

Description:  The vignettes on this Civil War currency were Commerce on the left signifying hope, in the center was portrayed Liberty with the American eagle and the first national flag of the confederacy. This note was printed with black ink and has no design on the back. Type 10 confederate money examples are fairly rare as only 170,994 were originally issued on July 25, 1861.

Inscriptions: "Two years after date The Confederate States of America will pay to bearer Ten Dollars/ Richmond, Va. April 25th 1861/ Receivable in payment of all dues except export dues/ Fundable in Confederate States Stock bearing Eight per Cent interest/ for Register Hoyer & Ludwig Richmond, VA."

Confederate Currency 1861 $50 Dollar Bill Jefferson Davis T-16

Confederate Paper Money Currency 1861 50 Dollar Bill Jefferson Davis T-16
 September 2nd 1861 Confederate $50 Bill from Richmond - Jefferson Davis
Confederate Currency 1861 $50 Dollar Bill Jefferson Davis T-16

Description:  This $50 Confederate note shows Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States in the center. This note was printed with green and black ink on paper that contained either a watermark or red fibers. There is no design on the back.

Inscriptions: "Six Months after the Ratification of a Treaty of Peace between the Confederate States and the United States The Confederate States of America will pay to the bearer on demand Fifty Dollars/ Richmond, Sept. 2nd, 1861/ Fundable in 8 per Cent Stock or bonds of the Confederate States of America/ Receivable in payment of all dues except Export Duties"

Confederate Currency 1861 $20 Dollar Bill T-17

Confederate Currency 1861 20 Dollar Bill T-17
September 2nd 1861 Confederate $20 Bill from Richmond
Confederate Currency 1861 $20 Dollar Bill T-17

Description:  This $20 Confederate note shows a group of three seated women in the center (Ceres, Commerce, and Navigation) and a woman holding a spear in flowing robes (Liberty) on the left side of the note. There is also a green overprint of cherubs that is difficult to see. This note was printed with black and green ink on either plain or watermarked paper. There is no design on the back.

Inscriptions: "Six Months after the Ratification of a Treaty of peace between the Confederate States and The United States The Confederate States of America will pay Twenty Dollars to bearer/ Richmond, Va. September 2nd, 1861/ Fundable in Confederate States Stock bearing Eight per Cent Interest/ Receivable in Payment of all dues except Export Dues/ Hoyer & Ludwig Richmond, Va."

Confederate Currency $20 Dollar Bill 1861 T-20

Confederate Currency 20 Dollar Bill 1861 T-20

Confederate States of America Currency $20 Dollar Bill 1861 T-20

Currency was authorized by the Confederate government  August 19, 1861, and December 24, 1861, issued September 2, 1861

Obverse: Industry seated behind large 20 with Cupid and beehives at sides. Vice President Alexander Stephens at lower left, Hope with anchor at right. 2,835,285 notes were issued.
Reverse: Blank.

Inscriptions: "Six Months after the Ratification of a Treaty of Peace between The Confederate States and The United States The Confederate States of America will pay Twenty Dollars to Bearer/ Richmond, September 2, 1861/ Fundable in Eight Per Cent Stock or Bonds of the Confederate States/ Receivable in payment of all dues except Export Duties/ B. Duncan Richmond"

Confederate Currency $10 Dollar Indian Family Note 1861 T-22

Confederate Currency 10 Dollar Indian Family Note 1861 T-22
September 2nd 1861 Confederate $10 Bill from Richmond
Confederate Currency $10 Dollar Indian Family Note 1861 T-22

Obverse: Family group of Indians in center. Thetis with scepter of Neptune at left, Indian woman at right holding ear of corn and “X” (for 10). Printed in red and black on red fibre paper. (PF-1) Southern Bank Note Company. Plate B. Black serial numbers. 58,860 issued.
Reverse: Blank.

Inscriptions: "Six Months after the Ratification of a Treaty of peace between the Confederate States and the United States, The Confederate States of America will pay Ten Dollars to Bearer/ Richmond, September 2, 1861/ Fundable in Eight Percent Stock or Bonds of Confederate States of America/ Receivable in Payment of all dues except Export Duties/ Southern Bank Note Company/ New Orleans"

Confederate Currency 1861 $10 Dollar Bill CSA T-24

T-24 Richmond September 2nd 1861 $10 Confederate Money
 Confederate Currency 1861 $10 Dollar Bill T-24, Busts of Robert Hunter at lower left, child at lower right. 
Description: This $10 Confederate note has a portrait of Robert M. T. Hunter on the left side and the portrait of a small child on the right side. The vignette of a small child at the right is the Reverend Dr. Alfred L. Elwyn, an abolitionist from Philadelphia, as a child. His identity is unknown when the portrait was selected.  This note was printed with black and red or orange ink on either plain, watermarked, or paper containing red fibers. This note has no design on the back. Criswell lists this as Variety Cr 156 and Fricke has this as T24 PF1, which means it is printed on plain paper and Leggett, Keatinge and Ball were the engravers. 278,400 issued.

Inscriptions: "Six Months after the ratification of a Treaty of Peace between the Confederate States and the United States, The Confederate States of America will pay to the Bearer Ten Dollars/ Richmond, Sept. 2nd, 1861/ Fundable in Eight Per Cent Stock or Bonds of the Confederate States of America/ Receivable in Payment of all dues except Export Duties/ Keatinge & Ball Richmond, Va."

Robert M. T. Hunter
Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter (April 21, 1809 – July 18, 1887) was an American statesman born in Essex County, Virginia.
From 1861 to 1862 Hunter was the Confederate States Secretary of State; and from 1862 to 1865 he was a member of the Confederate Senate, in which he was, at times, a caustic critic of the Davis administration. He was one of the commissioners to treat at the Hampton Roads Conference in 1865, and after the surrender of General Lee was summoned by President Lincoln to Richmond to confer regarding the restoration of Virginia in the Union. From 1874 to 1880 he was the treasurer of Virginia, and from 1885 until his death near Lloyds, Virginia, was collector of the Port of Tappahannock, Virginia.
Early life and education
Hunter was born in Loretto, Essex County, Virginia, the son of James Hunter and Maria (Garnett) Hunter. He was a maternal first cousin of both Robert S. Garnett and Richard B. Garnett. He entered the University of Virginia in his seventeenth year and was one of its first graduates. While he was a student, he became a member of the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society. He then studied law at the Winchester Law School, and in 1830 was admitted to the bar. From 1835 to 1837 he was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates.
Career
In 1837, Hunter was elected U.S. Representative as a States Rights Whig. He was re-elected in 1839, and became Speaker of the United States House of Representatives – the youngest person ever to hold that office. He was re-elected again in 1841, but was not chosen Speaker. In 1843 he was defeated for re-election.
  He then changed parties, becoming a Democrat. In 1845, he was again elected Representative, and in 1846 was elected U.S. Senator, taking office in 1847. He was re-elected in 1852 and 1858.
  In the Senate, he became chairman of the Committee on Finance in 1850. He is credited with bringing about a reduction of the quantity of silver in the smaller coins. He was the author of the Tariff of 1857 and of the bonded-warehouse system, and was one of the first to advocate civil service reform. In 1853 he declined President Millard Fillmore's offer to make him Secretary of State.
  At the first session of the 1860 Democratic National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina, Hunter was a contender for the presidential nomination, but received little support except from the Virginia delegation. On seven of the first eight ballots, he was a very distant second to the leader, Stephen A. Douglas, and was third on the remaining 42 ballots. When the convention reconvened in Baltimore, most Southerners withdrew, including Hunter, and the nomination went to Douglas.
  Hunter did not regard Lincoln's election as being of itself a sufficient cause for secession. On January 11, 1861, he proposed an elaborate but impracticable scheme for the adjustment of differences between the North and the South. When this and several other efforts to the same end had failed, he quietly urged his own state to pass the ordinance of secession. He was expelled from the Senate for supporting secession.
  In July 1861, Hunter was appointed Confederate States Secretary of State. He resigned on February 18, 1862, having been elected a Confederate Senator. He served in the Confederate Senate until the end of the war, and was at times President pro tem.
  As a Confederate Senator, he was often a caustic critic of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Despite this friction, he was appointed by Davis as one of three commissioners sent to attempt peace negotiations in 1865, and met with President Lincoln at the Hampton Roads Conference. After Lee's surrender, Hunter was summoned by President Lincoln to confer regarding the restoration of Virginia.
  When it was suggested by some Confederates that their slaves should be armed in order to win the war against the Union, Hunter vehemently opposed the move, delivering a long speech against it.
  From 1874 to 1880 he was the treasurer of Virginia, and from 1885 until his death was collector of the Port of Tappahannock, Virginia. He died near Lloyds, Virginia, in 1887.
Legacy
Hunter appeared in the 2012 film Lincoln, which included the Hampton Roads Conference. He was portrayed by Mike Shiflett.
  Among his works was Origin of the Late War, about the causes of the Civil War.
  In 1942, a United States Liberty ship named the SS Robert M. T. Hunter was launched. She was scrapped in 1971.
  Hunter was pictured on the Confederate $10 bill.

Alfred L. Elwyn
Alfred Langdon Elwyn (9 July 1804 – 15 March 1884) was a nonpracticing physician, an author, a philanthropist and a pioneer in the training and care of mentally disabled in the US. In addition, Elwyn was one of the founding officers of the Pennsylvania Institution for the Blind in 1833, and later served as the Institution's president. Elwyn also headed a Pennsylvania agricultural society and farm school. In addition, Elwyn was president of a society for prevential of cruelty to animals. He served as treasurer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science between 1849 and 1870.
The town of Elwyn, Pennsylvania and the care and training facility Elwyn are named for Alfred Elwyn.
School for the mentally disabled
Elwyn travelled to Boston for a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1849. He had promised to take a letter from Rachel Laird, a blind girl living in Philadelphia, to Laura Bridgman (December 21, 1829 - May 24, 1889), who was a famous blind deaf mute in Boston. Bridgman was studying at the South Boston Institute for the Blind, and while there Elwyn visited a classroom for mentally deficient children run by teacher James Richards.
  Elwyn was impressed with Richards' work, and resolved to do something similar in Pennsylvania. In 1852, with Richards, Elwyn established a training school for the retarded in Germantown, Pennsylvania. In 1853, the Pennsylvania State Legislature formally chartered "The Pennsylvania Training School for Feeble-Minded Children" with Richards as its first superintendent in Germantown. The school soon outgrew its facilities in Germantown, and in 1857 a 60-acre (240,000 m2) farm was purchased in Media, Pennsylvania to house a new facility with help from the Pennsylvania legislature. The buildings were completed in 1859 and Elwyn, Richards and 25 students moved in on September 1, 1859. The school was officially dedicated November 2, 1859. Elwyn became head of the school in 1870.

Confederate Currency 1861 $10 Dollar Note CSA T-26

Confederate Currency 1861 10 Dollar bill CSA Note
Richmond $10 Confederate Note Richmond September 2nd, 1861

Confederate Currency 1861 $10 Dollar Note CSA T-26

Description:  This $10 Confederate note shows a woman in flowing robes (Allegory of Hope) standing next to an anchor in the center. In the lower right corner of the note is a portrait of C.G. Memminger. In the lower left corner of the note is a portrait of H.M.T. Hunter. This note was printed with black ink with the two X's in red or orange ink on either plain or watermarked paper. This note has no design on the back. 178,716 notes of T25 issued, 562,800 of T25.

Inscriptions: "Six Months after the ratification of a Treaty of Peace between the Confederate States and the United States, The Confederate States of America will pay to the bearer on demand Ten Dollars/ Richmond, Sept. 2nd, 1861/ Fundable in 8 Per Cent Stock or Bonds The Confederate States of America/ Receivable in Payment of all dues Except Export Duties/ Keatinge & Ball, Richmond, Va."



Confederate Currency 1861 $10 Dollar Bill CSA T-28

Confederate Currency 1861 10 Dollar Bill CSA Civil War Note T-28

Confederate Currency 1861 $10 Dollar Bill CSA T-28

Description: Ceres holding an urn, with Commerce seated at left. Peterson had early used this prewar design on a Confederate certificate under the Act of May 16, 1861. The rest of the design including the train at right is identical to T-27 of Hoyer & Ludwig, showing a close connection of their work. plain and watermarked paper (CSA block). The watermarked version is extremely rare. The total issue of both printers was 1,076,738.

Inscriptions: "Six Months after the Ratification of a Treaty of peace between the Confederate States and the United States, The Confederate States of America will pay Ten Dollars to bearer/ Richmond, Va. September 2, 1861/ Fundable in Confederate States Stock bearing Eight per Cent Interest/ Receivable in payment of all dues except Export Dues/ J.T. Paterson, Columbia, S.C."

Confederate Currency 1861 $5 Dollar Bill CSA T-32

Confederate Currency 1861 5 Dollar Bill boy CSA T-32
September 2nd 1861 Confederate $5 Bill from Richmond with Blacksmith
Confederate Currency September 2nd 1861 $5 Dollar Bill from Richmond with Blacksmith 
CSA T-32

Description:  This $5 Confederate note shows a blacksmith with anvil and tools at right, boy in oval at lower left. This design is close copy of prewar $5 note of the Mechanics Savings Bank of Savannah Georgia, 1855. This note was printed with black and red or orange ink on either plain paper or paper that contained red fibers. This note is considered scarce. There is no design on the back. Engraved by Keatinge & Ball - 20,333 printed.

Inscriptions: "Six Months after the ratification of a Treaty of peace between The Confederate States and the United States, The Confederate States of America will pay to bearer Five Dollars/ Richmond Sept. 2nd, 1861/ Fundable in Eight per cent stock or bonds of the Confederate States of America/ Receivable in Payment of all dues except export duties/ Leggett Keatinge & Ball Richmond Va."


Keatinge & Ball eventually became the leading engravers and printers of Confederate notes. Initially the firm was Leggett, Keatinge & Ball, but on March 12, 1862 the firm was informed that Mr Leggett had been seen with a Union spy, and they would lose their contract if he did not leave. Edward Keatinge was an engraver from Britain, who was employed by the American Banknote Company in New York. After offers from the Confederate government, he entered into a partnership with Thomas Ball. The firm soon moved from Richmond to Columbia, South Carolina.