0 Confederate States Coupon Bond – Criswell 62, Ball 77

Description

0 Confederate States Coupon Bond – Criswell 62, Ball 77
Offered for your consideration is a 0 coupon 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. 62 and by the late Dr. Douglas Ball as B. 77. The central vignette features a portrait of John Henninger Reagan, a pre-war United States representative, as well as the Confederate Postmaster General, presented in an oval frame and surrounded by an ornate floral design. Immediately above, printed in an arc, is
“CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA LOAN”
, with the maturation date and the interest rate at the upper left and right, respectively. Below the vignette, printed in a lovely italic scrip, is a lengthy financial obligation which states (in part) that “
On the first day of January, 1873, 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 per Cent. per annum …
”. This is followed by a statement 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 …’”
. It further states that,
“… 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
3
day of
Feby
186
3
…”
, with the signature of the register,
“Ro. Tyler”
, appearing at the lower right. A decorative, rectangular border, with the denomination repeated at the top and bottom, as well as on each side, encloses all of the foregoing elements, neatly separating them from the remaining eighteen interest coupons. Each of these coupons is valued at
“TWENTY DOLLARS”
and hand-signed by
“N Giles”
, an employee of the Confederate Treasury. This bond was printed by
“B. DUNCAN COLUMBIA. S.C.”
, 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 1,338 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.
This piece exhibits light toning across the entire surface, imparting to the document an off-white to beige hue, somewhat darker at the top corners and along the edges (these can be hidden if the bond is matted for framing). Numerous light stains are scattered throughout the design, somewhat more visible on the blank back. The contrast is average for the issue, with the manuscript additions being sharp and fully legible. Due the acidic nature of the period ink, minor erosion is present when the bond is viewed from the back. The Criswell number,
“62”
, appears in pencil at the upper right, as well as a price “
140 -
” (the practice of writing the catalogue number and price on bonds and currency was commonplace for years, though it is currently frowned upon and generally not done). In common with virtually all documents of this type, numerous horizontal and vertical folds are present (these folds occurred when the bonds were placed in safes or the cubbyholes of desks), with wrinkles noted at the edges (possibly from being wet in the past). The margins are wider than frequently seen, though the bottom is slightly irregular. Measuring approximately 13¾ x 14½ inches, this bond, due to the floral design around the portrait, is very popular with framers. An attractive and historic memento of that turbulent period in American history.
A .95 Charge will be added to the purchase price 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 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