0 Confederate States Bond – Criswell 121, Ball 221

Description

0 Confederate States Bond – Criswell 121, Ball 221
Offered for your consideration is a 0 bond issued by the Confederate States of America under the Act of February 20, 1863. It was catalogued by the late Grover Criswell as Cr. 121 and by the late Dr. Douglas Ball as B. 221. The central vignette depicts a seated Confederate soldier in his uniform, warming his hands above a blazing fire. He looks at the viewer with a determined stare, his rifled musket cradled in his arm and his pack on the ground (the pack appears to have
“15 Va”
stenciled on it). A column of troops can be seen passing dimly in the background. Immediately above this scene, presented in an arc, is printed
“Confederate States of America Loan”
, while below is the financial obligation, executed in a lovely italic script. According to this obligation,
“On the first day of July 1868, the Confederate States of America, will pay to the Bearer of this Bond … the Sum of Five Hundred Dollars, with Interest thereon from date, at the rate of Seven per Cent per annum …”
. It further states that
“… This contract is authorized by An Act of Congress approved 20
th
February 1863 Entitled “An Act to authorize the issue of Bonds for funding Treasury Notes” …”
. It was signed and sealed
“… at Richmond, this second day of March 1863 …”
by
“Ro. Tyler”
in his capacity as
“Register of the Treasury”
. A second, smaller vignette, depicting what appears to be a race between a sidewheel seamer on a river and a train on the shore behind, can be seen at the bottom. A decorative border encloses the above elements, neatly separating them from the seven remaining interest coupons. Each of these coupons is valued at
“SEVENTEEN 50/100 DOLLARS”
and is hand signed by
“N Palmer”
(Miss Nellie Palmer), a female employee of the Confederate treasury. This bond was printed on the same pink paper used on two other bond types and some of the currency issued at the same time. In common with most government bonds of this era, the back is blank. Confederate financial records indicate that 33,031 bonds of this type were originally issued, a considerable amount given the time and the military situation (the authorizing act was passed less than 3 months before the stunning Confederate victory at Chancellorsville, and less than 6 months before the dual losses at Gettysburg and Vicksburg). While not particularly rare, this bond is very popular with collectors and framers alike. This is a great opportunity to add one to your collection.
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.
Very minor toning is present across the entire surface of the presently offered specimen, imparting to the bond a somewhat subdued appearance. Several small foxing spots are scattered throughout the design, particularly noticeable in the selvage and on the blank back (most of the spots in the selvage could be matted over if the bond was framed). The contrast is average for the issue, with the manuscript additions remaining relatively sharp and bold. In common with virtually all documents of this size and type, numerous storage folds and creases are present, though none of these appear to have compromised the integrity of the paper (many of these folds occurred when the bonds were placed in safes or the cubbyholes of desks). The lower margin is slightly irregular, a common occurrence since the coupons were cut from the bond by hand. A few small pinholes can be seen when the bond is held to the light. Minor in bleed-thru can be seen on the back at the serial numbers and Tyler’s signature. This interesting and historic reminder of the Lost Cause measures approximately 13⅞ x 14½ inches, and would look great framed in an office or den.
A charge of .95 will be added to the winning bid for postage and insurance.
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