A new purchase - a piece of fractional currency

In the late 1980s, I put together a type set of fractional currency. These were small notes that the Union Government issued starting in 1862 as a substitute for coins which were extensivey hoarded during the Civil War. Since people first used postage stamps and then encased postage, the first notes were really stamps.

A Civil War era stamp


A piece of encased postage


A five cent Postal Currency Note.


Counterfeiters were constantly copying the fractional currency notes. This prompted the government to change the designs frequently.

The third issue from fractional notes was issued from 1864 to 1869. It contained the most design types, and from my experience, the scarcest and most costly pieces. I completed a "bare bones" type set in the late 1980s. Now I have gone back to finish it. Most of notes I did not purchase back in the day had red backs as opposed to green backs.

This three cent note has a green back, but there are two types of Washington portraits, one with a light background, which is more common, and the dark background which is scarcer. Here are the two types.



This is the dark background which I recently purchased.




If you would like to learn more about fractional currency, here is a link to my local club's website. I have written a series of articles about this interesting series of notes.

https://brandoncoinclub.org/

 

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I have always been intrigued by encased postage. Just seems cool! I don't own any, though.

 

Damn, you got some really cool stuff, that encased 'Take Ayers Pills', that's a top shelf piece in my book! There's a few on the bay right now but none as nice as yours!