Excavated Patriotic War-Date Token
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A very interesting copper patriotic token, drilled to wear on a neck chain. The central opening once contained something that either fell out or deteriorated in the ground: perhaps a tintype or paper-composite logo. The Obverse (front side) has thirteen stars and reads: "Pt.Apr.2,1861". The Reverse reads: "Union, Constitution,Laws,Flag" Perhaps someday an intact specimen will surface and solve the mystery for me. But that is much of the fun to collecting...that thrilling uncertainty of what might be discovered upon each upcoming day!
Fractional Currency: Ten Cents Note!
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Can you believe they had paper money for "parts" of a dollar! Yes, even during the Civil War they had "fractional currencies" in both the NOrth and South. Back then a dollar could buy a LOT! Men often worked for 5, 10, 25 cents per day! This note happens to be from the decade immediately after the Civil War. But many young Veterans would've carried them in their leather billfold wallets. It shows William Meredith, Sec'Treasury in 1840. This is "Series of 1874". A small 3" by 2" in size. And you can't get these from modern MAC machines!
1864 Augusta Insurance & Banking Co. $1 Note
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This is a colorful $1 note issued by Augusta Assurance & Banking Co. in 1864. Based on their held assets, banks could still issue their own bonds and currencvy which were accepted in areas that were local to a trusted institution. As the 1800's moved into the Twentieth Century, the Federal Government assumed the entire role of issuing currency...
Confederate Treasury: Final Pay For Deceased Virginia Lieutenant
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This is a nicely preserved official correspondence from "Treasury Department, Confederate States" on March 14, 1864, which accompanied the final pay in arrears to the wife of Rufis Turner, deceased. He was a Lieutenant in Co. D. of the 12th Virginia Volunteers in 1862, resigning later that year. He died afterward (unclear to me if related to service) and this is a reply to his widow's claim. It is signed in ink by Mr. Calvert, chief of the Division of Deceased Soldiers. It was written on a blue paper watermarked 1862.
Louisianna Series 1874 $5.00 Baby Bond
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This is a small, attractive 1874 Louisianna State "Baby Bond". Roughly 5" x 3 3/4". Used by that state to raise funds during post Civil War period.
1863 Undertaker's Token: Good Time for Business???
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Strange but true! This is a copper, quarter-sized token from 1863 with an Indian Head Maiden on the front. The reverse demonstrates a coffin with advertising for "J.J. Diehl Undertaker 133 Essex St. New York". In fact, this tradesman probably took a hand in the internment of some deceased New York soldiers during the Civil War. Bodies were often shipped home from battlefields and hospitals for formal family ceremonies in local churches and cathedrals, like Saint Patricks in Manhattan. Sometimes relatives or funeral agents went south to battlefields, bringing bodies home by train for a local burial! Wasn't it a little spooky to have an undertaker's "coins" circulating as "currencvy" during a deadly Civil War which was killing your dearest friends and relatives?
Civil War Token: 1863 Flag of Country/ Shoot him on the spot...
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A popular Union Civil War token from 1863 which has a famous quote from the Civil War by Federal General Dix on its back: "If anybody attemps to tear it down (the Union flag), shoot him on the spot." One would guess that they had very little time for trial lawyers and class-action lawsuits back then... The opposite side of coin shows the U.S, flag, stating "the Flag of Our Union."
1862 CSA $100 Note
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A very nice CSA $100 note issued on July 21st 1862 out of Richmond with appropriate ink signatures of treasury officials. Motif shows Train, steamer and slave carrying cotton in basket on head. Ink stamps on rear show that interest was paid in January 1864 and at Jackson in 1865.
1864 Confederate Bonds
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Well, the Confederate States were paying more interest than we are getting now: 6%. Small little redemption bonds for "Three Dollars" at about 3 inches by 1 3/4 inches are in great shape! Individually numbered. Shows man on horse and states the Confederate States of America loan Act Number. Cute gifts!
1862 City of Richmond Virginia 60 Cents Note
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A note for Sixty Cents released by the City of Richmond, State of Virginia in 1862. When Confederate States succeeded from the Union, they each quickly moved to print and circulate their own currencies. At first, each state did this, but soon, the national Confederacy printed a general circulation southern currency based from the Treasury in Richmond. Notice how at the time, each note was hand-signed and numbered.
1864 Military Fund Receipt
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From Greene County, Ohio, comes a receipt from the County Treasurer for $4.00 received on account of the Military Fund from one "Jefferson Smith." Dated August 12th, 1864 Measures 3" by 7 1/2". Fine shape. Signed in ink.
1865 Military Fund Receipt
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From Greene County, Ohio, comes a receipt from the County Treasurer for $4.00 received on account of the Military Fund from one "Jefferson Smith." Dated August 15th, 1865. It measures 3" by 7 1/2". Fine shape. Signed in ink.
1863 Philadelphia Hotel Patriotic Token
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This penny sized copper token was issued privately to supply coinage for civilian commerce during shortages of change during the mid Civil War. The Federal Government put such practices of private minting to an end by 1864. This coin shows the Philadelphia City Hotel flying the Union flag with the date 1863 on the obverse. On its rear is an ad from the merchant that financed its production "G.J. Ruelius" of North 4th Street, Philadelphia. Looks to be in Very Fine condition.
Indiana Volunteer Bounty Agent's Paycheck
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This Harrison County, Indiana check from March 1865 is to an agent of Blue River Towenship who incurred expenses in administering the Volunteer Fund. It was not paid when first presented due to insufficient funds in bank, but paid later in 1866. Very neat item in nice shape. Approx. 7 1/2" by 3"
1858-S Seated Liberty Half Dollar
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This silver US Half Dollar was minted in San Francisco, California in 1858~ It is called a "Seated Liberty" design. It could have been in a soldier's pocket at that bloody cornfield during the Battle of Antitem or bouncing in the trouser of a Cavalry trooper riding with Custer at Gettysburg... But regardless, when it was minted in 1858, hundreds-of-thousands of Americans were still alive who would ultimately be sacrificed to the War within the next 7 years' time.
1862 Soldier's Bounty Warrant
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The treasurer of this Union County had a fund at his disposal to pay recruited soldiers. This is a "draw" or check drawn upon that county fund which was set aside for soldiers' bounties and payments. It is numbered 5103 and reads: "SOLDIERS BOUNTY WARRANT, CLINTON COUNTY IOWA, DEWITT OCTOBER TERM 1862, ON THE FIRST DAY OF DECEMBER 1862. THE TREASURER OF CLINTON COUNTY WILL PAY OR BEARER ONE DOLLAR OUT OF THE SOLDIERS BOUNTY FUND BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS." Signed by the clerk of the county in lower right.
Soldier's Pay Allotment to Family
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During the Civil War, certain states would advance money to the family members of soldiers. A portion of their regular pay could be drawn by designated family members, such as wives, children and parents. The illustrated allotment check was issued in Madison, Wisconsin for $34.33 to Rosalie Yonkel (signed with an X) against a portion of the pay of Charles Yonkel, Co. G, 2nd WIS Cavalry on Nov. 2, 1864. It measures 8-1/2" x 3-1/2"
1862 Confederate States $100 Interest Bearing Bond
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At the start of the Civil War both private regional banks and the U.S. Government were issuing paper currency. The South quickly moved to centralize a uniform Confederate currency issued thereafter from its central bank in Richmond, Virginia. Several Varieties of each series are commonly known. This is a $100 Interest Bearing bond that was payable "Six months after the Ratification of a Treaty of Peace between the Confederate States & The United States of America. It also notes that it will yield "interest at two cents per day. It is marked in ink "paid March 3, '63" on rear. The bearer obviously decided not to hold it to full maturity.
Ohion Volunteers Sutler Monetary Note
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This is an extremely rare Sutler's Currency Note that was issued by merchants who followed armies, supplying paper, envelopes, stamps, tobacco and grooming goods to the troopers. When very well-organized, these sutlers started to distribute tokens as well as these types of paper promisary notes (credits) which specifically mentioned the regiment to which they had been attached. The note which is shown is highly unusual in light of its full-size and quite intricate graphics. Men of the Ohio 23rd Regiment would have seen & used these to buy goods in camps between battles and during long winter layovers. According to Keller's book, "SUTLER PAPER MONEY," this has a high-rarity level of R7, meaning only 1 to 5 examples still are known to exist!
Savannah Georgia Bank before the War.
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Things would soon change! The old traditions and relaxed genteel ways tossed into violent and treacherous upheavals of war! Local financial institutions which offered their own colorful bank notes before the conflict would have their depositors whisked away to battle, families scrambling for cash to cover the strains at home, and the Confederate States in Richmond issuing a single "uniform" series of paper currency denominations. Shown here is a $5.00 note from the Merchants & Planters Bank of Sevannah, Georgia, serial number 4306. Such currency became completely obsolete after the loss of the Civil War by the Southern Confederation.
1853 Silver Seat Half Dime
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This is a very nice example of the silver "half dime" that was in use prior to the Civil War. In a graded "Fine" condition, it is entirely possible to have found such a coin in the pocket of a soldier during the 1860's. With another penny, he could've gotten two 3-cent stamps for sending letters home...
1834 U.S. HALF-CENT
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Imagine a time in our nation's history when you could actually buy goods with a "half cent" coin! This would likely still have been in circulation dusing the U.S. Civil War.
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