During the Civil War there were many notes issued by the Confederate States of America of interest to Numismatic and Civil War collectors. Confederate notes or Confederate currency are unique in the fact that their chief difference is in the values, engravers, lithographers, printer names, figures, designs, colors, water marks, serial letters and other distinguishing features. The first of these were issued at the first capitol of the Confederacy, which was at Montgomery, Alabama under the Act of March 9, 1861. All other after that date were issued from a new capitol at Richmond, VA. Over 60 different notes were issued from 1861 to 1864 in values of $1000.00, $500.00, $100.00, $50.00, $20.00, $10.00, $5.00, $2.00, $1.00, and 50 cents. The Confederate issues may be compared with the continental issues, during the war of independence. At the end of the Civil War, Confederate notes were of little value. However, today the value of these notes are far from worthless. Prices range from under $100.00 for most to $10,000 or more. These Confederate notes represented the pay of the confederate veterans. The Confederate soldiers received their pay in these notes. Some of these notes bore the statement approximately as follows: "Six months after a ratification of a treaty of peace between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America, pay to the bearer the sun of ______ dollars, with interest at 8 percent." As there was no treaty of peace favorable to the Confederates, these notes lost their value upon the unconditional surrender of the Confederates to General Grant. Many of the wealthier Southerners had invested all their money in these notes and were for the most part bankrupt at the end of the war. |
