00 Confederate States Coupon Bond – Criswell 84, Ball 56

Description

00 Confederate States Coupon Bond – Criswell 84, Ball 56
Offered for your consideration is a 00 coupon bond issued by the Confederate States of America under the Act of August 19, 1861. It was catalogued by the late Grover Criswell as Cr. 84 and by the late Dr. Douglas Ball as B. 56. The central vignette features a portrait of Christopher G. Memminger, the long-suffering Confederate Secretary of the Treasury, presented in an oval frame and flanked by two reclining female figures. The figure at left is a representation of Commerce, while that at the right is probably meant to represent Industry or Progress. Immediately above, printed in a modified arc, is
“CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA / LOAN”
, while below is printed “
AUTHORIZED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS, C. S. A. OF AUGUST 19, 1861
”. A lengthy financial obligation, printed in a lovely italic script, states (in part) that “
On the first day of July, 1869, The Confederate States of America will pay to the Bearer of this Bond … the sum of ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS with Interest thereon … at the rate of Eight per Cent. per annum …
”. This is followed by a statement that
“… This debt is authorized by an Act of Congress, approved August 19, 1861, entitled “An Act to authorize the issue of Treasury Notes, and to provide a War Tax for their redemption …”
.” It further states that,
“… the Register of the Treasury, in pursuance of the said Act of Congress, hath hereunto set his hand and affixed the seal of the Treasury at RICHMOND, this
12
day of
July
186
2
…”
, with the signature of
“Ro: Tyler”
, in his capacity as “
Register of the Treasury
”, appearing at the lower right. A small vignette, depicting a young girl in a floral wreath, appears at the bottom. A wonderfully decorative, rectangular border, encloses all of the foregoing elements, neatly separating them from the remaining nine interest coupons, each of which is valued at
“FORTY DOLLARS”
and hand-signed by
“R J Nelson”
, an employee of the Confederate Treasury. This bond was printed by
“B. DUNCAN. RICHMOND. VA.”
, as evidenced by their imprint at the lower left. In common with most government bonds of this era, the reverse of this piece is blank (it now bears a pencil notation of the Criswell number). Confederate fiscal records indicate that 593 bonds of this type were originally issued, though how many have survived the intervening 150+ years is unknown. A great bond to frame with a piece of Confederate currency for display in a den or office.
Robert Tyler
was the son of John Tyler, the 10
th
President of the United States, and served as the register of the Confederate Treasury from August 13, 1861 until the close of the war. He received his position mainly through the influence of his father and not due to any special abilities of his own. It is interesting to note that during his father’s administration, Robert spent a great deal of time in the White House, and his wife served for some time as the official hostess.
This piece exhibits light toning across the entire surface, imparting to the document a beige to tan hue, slightly darker at the top corners and along the edges (these can be hidden if the bond is matted for framing). Several light stains and foxing spots are scattered throughout the design, though most of these are small and not seriously detrimental to the overall eye appeal. The contrast is average for the issue, with the manuscript additions being sharp and fully legible. Due the acidic nature of the period ink, minor erosion is present when the bond is viewed from the back (some weakening of the paper is noted at the manuscript additions). Several small pinholes are mentioned for accuracy, though these are almost invisible unless the bond is held to the light. In common with virtually all documents of this type, numerous horizontal and vertical folds (as well as some on the diagonal) are present (these folds occurred when the bonds were placed in safes or the cubbyholes of desks), with minor wrinkling noted at the edges. The edges are slightly irregular, with some weakening at several areas at the top. This bond, measuring approximately 11¾ x 13¾ inches, is very popular with framers, especially with the figures flanking the central design and the portrait of the Treasury secretary. An attractive and historic memento of that turbulent period in American history.
A charge of .95 will be added to the winning bid for postage and insurance.
A .00 charge will be added to any item picked up in person at our physical location.
If you have any questions concerning this item, please ask before purchasing.
Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
American Coins and Collectibles
Shreveport, LA