One of my newest CSA Notes is a $100, 1861 T-5 Note in Extremely Fine+ condition, if not in AU condition. A tough one to get and not a cheap note either. The serial number is 2245. It is a "First Richmond" type and has long been a collector favorite. It is among the more difficult early Richmond issues to locate. First, how can one identify a genuine CSA Note? They are highly collectible and potentially very profitable because of the nostalgia for the time period in Southern states. However, they are also filled with fakes. There are modern fakes of course and there are souvenir reproductions. But even in the 1860’s fakes were made and circulated but even those early fakes are now collectible. Some confusion lies with facsimiles and from criminals purposely printing forgeries. Recognizing some of the most common signs of a facsimile or forgery can eliminate most fraudulent sales. One must learn the Cut, the Paper and the Ink to recognize a fake. The Cut: The cash-strapped South could not afford the machinery to cut the printed notes as is done today so the notes were hand cut with scissors. Therefore legitimate Confederate currency should not have perfectly cut edges like you would see on modern currency. The Paper: Again, being short of cash, cheap rice paper was used. Rice paper feels very flimsy and it was extremely thin. Texas printed currency on papyrus during the Civil War period, so it is possible to find currency made out of other material, but most CSA currency used rice paper. The Ink: Most CSA Notes contain hand written numbering and signatures containing iron gall ink. Some denominations used a stamp for serial numbers but they were hand signed by the Treasurer. Iron gall ink has a dark brown color, but it also oxidizes over time which leads to bleeding through to the back of the note. While some CSA notes have resisted bleeding, you should be able to see the ink bleed through the back on nearly all legitimate notes. There were 11 southern states that made up the Confederate States of America and they needed a monetary system of their own. This gave birth to Confederate Currency. These notes were issued in 4 Series 1861, 1862, 1863, & 1864 each year containing numerous denominations. A total of 72 CSA Notes were printed during these four years. After the defeat of the South in the Civil War, CSA Notes became worthless as a form of US Currency. Today they are worth a small amount to thousands of dollars. The value depends on condition, grade, year and the number printed. As the printing costs were considered a number of CSA issues and no printing on the back side. Any writing or stamps on this sides adds value to the note. This note, the T-5 Note with a printed value of $100 with green overlaid printing has become quite high priced. It is a first series $100 Confederate States of America banknote with Vignettes of Justice and Minerva. It was printed by the Southern Banknote Company of New Orleans. Only 5,798 were printed. This note dated Aug 3, 1861. Interest was payable at one cent per day or 3.65% per year. Another noteworthy feature of the note is the steam train. This particular note is worth over $3500.00 today. In part for reason already stated and for the blank reverse, which has been written on by the issuer of the note. The issue date is Sept 13, 1861 in Tenn by Maj. Anderson.
This was added to my collection a year and a half ago. I’m sorry to say I forgot about it until this week.
Thanks. I just love collecting these. I wish I would have discovered them when I was younger. They are so rich in history and the writing on the back side just adds to it.
Wonderful note. Good reference books are a must for the serious collector of Confederate States of America currency. I have all of Pierre Fricke’s reference books and spent a small fortune acquiring them all directly from him about 8 or 9 years ago. He is currently the premier area expert on this niche of numismatics and was the protoge of Dr. Ball.
I thought you’d like it. I have about 1/3 of them, and I have doubles due to writing on the back side.
If I were made of money I’d pursue all of the Confederate notes, but alas, I am a collector of modest means, so I limit myself to occasional acquisitions when I can afford to lay out $300 - $600 for a note I want. Since I cannot do a set I mainly pursue notes that appeal to me strongly based on artwork, history, condition, etc.
Many times I have not purchased coins or CSA Notes that I wanted to save up for that expensive one. Then I can buy the expensive one, like this Note. And it’s difficult to not spend money on a coin or a note that I do want just to get another one that I also want.
I hear you. I finally sprung for the iconic T-64 Stonewall Jackson with CSA flag $500 note about a year and a half ago. Been wanting one since I was a teenager. I’m 61 now, so I finally just bit the bullet and pulled the trigger. It is one of the pride and joys of my collection.
Yes, that is a nice note to have. The note that got me started on CSA Notes was the famous Horses Pulling Cannons. It’s a popular note and almost 10 million were printed so it’s easy to find. After that, I was hooked on them.
I bought my first CSA notes way back in the early 1970’s. As I recall, I bought a $100 Train Note with cancellation stamps on back, and a $50 Jeff Davis note. Not sure today what their T-numbers would have been. I was just fascinated with the Civil War and thought owning Confederate money would be cool. I bought these notes very cheaply back then. I don’t recall exactly what I paid, but it could not have been much for than $10 or $20 for the pair, at most, because I rarely had more than that to spend as a kid. I purchased them in the - get this - “Coin Department” on the 8th Floor of the old Foley’s Department Store in downtown Houston, Texas. I often bought coins there as a kid. A very old school place with the button activated, rotating trays in glass cases. It was still the sort of coin department where they would place my raw uncirculated wheat penny purchases in those tiny 2x2 paper envelopes with a flap on back and the clerk would write the date and type of coin on the front of the envelope with a No. 2 pencil. That Foley’s building was torn down about 10 or 15 years ago after decades of decline, but in the 1970’s it was the flagship of the Foley’s chain and was equivalent to a Macy’s department store, which ultimately bought them out as I recall. I sold the notes sometime in the 1980’s for not much more than I paid for them. Too bad. No telling what I had. I had no good guide books back then. Yeah, Grover Criswell had books, but I didn’t know about them at that age.
You should have hung unto them. Not sure of the $50 Jefferson Davis note but I’m sure it goes fir over $100 today. Here’s my $50 J. Davis note. I bought this one because the serial number is a radar note. It’s dated Feby 17th 1864.
As for the $100 train note, it’s probably a T-39, T-40 or a T-41. This is one of my train notes. The train notes are very popular and sell for a minimum $200. It’s dated October 3 1862. It’s also signed by W. G. Hoge on April 3, 1863. This particular note has been traced traced to Andersonville Prison and I have the documentation on it. Hoge was not in the Confederate Army but he worked to support them. The documents I have on this note show it as payment for bricks he delivered to the prison. I love the history that comes with these notes.
The historical significance of that note is quite compelling. A great addition to any collection. I visited Andersonville about 30 years ago. A worthwhile place to tour if you ever find yourself cruising through that part of Georgia.
Mine was quite similar to yours. I have another $50 now that dates from 1862 or 63, I believe, that has a fancy greenback with “Confederate States of America” worked into the design. It set me back about $250 and it was a pretty good deal at that price. I forget the T number. I’d have to dig it out of my bank box and look it up in the Fricke guidebook, but it’s a really attractive note.
