0 Confederate States Coupon Bond – Criswell 53, Ball 43

Description

0 Confederate States Coupon Bond – Criswell 53, Ball 43
Offered for your consideration is a 0 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. 53 and by the late Dr. Douglas Ball as B. 43. The central vignette is somewhat unusual, depicting as it does a mother with three younger children, kneeling before a safe marked “
CONFEDERATE STATES TREASURY
”, with two bags placed before the safe. What makes this vignette so unusual is the surroundings, as it appears that this touching scene is enacted in a vacant lot, as there are no walls enclosing the figures, and a building appears in the background. The mother looks longingly at the safe, while one of the youngsters clings to her and the others look on, almost pleading. Above and below this scene is printed “
CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA
/
Loan Authorized by Act of Congress C. S. A. of August 19, 1861
”, followed by a lengthy financial obligation, printed in lovely italic script. This obligation states that “
On the first day of January, 1867, The Confederate States of America, will pay to the Bearer of this Bond … the sum of FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS, with interest thereon … at the rate of Eight percent, per annum …
”. It further states 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.’…”
.
In conclusion,
“… 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
6
day of
Jany.
186
2
…”
, with the signature of the register,
“Ro. Tyler”
, appearing at the lower right. A decorative, rectangular border, with the denomination repeated on each side, as well as at each corner, encloses all of the foregoing elements, neatly separating them from the remaining 10 interest coupons. Each of these coupons is valued at
“TWENTY DOLLARS”
and hand-signed by
“N. L. Ferguson”
, an employee of the Confederate Treasury. This bond was printed by
“HOYER & LUDWIG RICHMOND VA.”
, as evidenced by their imprint at the lower center.
In common with most government bonds of this era, the reverse of this piece is blank. Confederate fiscal records indicate that 866 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.
Light toning is present across the entire surface of this historic piece, imparting an off-white to beige hue. This toning appears darker at the edges, as well as along the expected folds. The back exhibits slightly more toning, as well as scattered light soiling. Some scattered foxing spots are mentioned for accuracy, as these are quite light and well-spaced within the design. In common with virtually all documents of this type, numerous storage folds, both vertical and horizontal (with a few on the diagonal), are present (these occurred when the documents were placed in safes or the cubbyholes of desks). Several tears are associated with these folds (especially at the edges), some of which have been strengthened with archival tape. Wrinkling is present at the upper left, with some additional areas scattered throughout the piece. Two pinholes can be found to the right of the central vignette, though these are small and hardly noticeable. This historic document measures approximately 13¾ x 14¼ inches including the selvage. This piece would look great framed, with the mat covering the majority of the condition issues. A rarely encountered bond, generally found with more significant condition issues.
A .95 charge 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 regarding 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