0 Confederate States Coupon Bond – Criswell 31, Ball 63

Description

0 Confederate States Coupon Bond – Criswell 31, Ball 63
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. 31 and by the late Dr. Douglas Ball as B. 63. The central vignette features a portrait of Judah P. Benjamin, a pre-war United States Senator
and Confederate Attorney General, Secretary of War, and Secretary of State,
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, and “
AUTHORIZED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS. C. S. A. OF AUGUST 19, 1861.
”. Below this, printed in a lovely italic scrip, is a lengthy financial obligation which states (in part) that “
On the first day of January, 1871, The Confederate States of America will pay to the Bearer of this Bond … the sum of ONE 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”
, in his capacity as “
Register of the Treasury
”, 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 twelve interest coupons. Each of these coupons is valued at
“FOUR DOLLARS”
and is hand-signed by
“M. F. Cary”
(Mrs. M. F. Cary), a female employee of the Confederate Treasury. This bond was printed by
“B. DUNCAN LITH. 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 (it does bear a period pencil notation, however). Confederate fiscal records indicate that 896 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, significantly darker at the top corners and along the edges due to handling through the years (
these handling issues are due principally to the oils and contaminates which are present on our hands
). Very light stains are scattered throughout the document, many of which are hidden within the design elements. The contrast is average for the issue, though Tyler’s signature is lighter than hoped for and frequently encountered. Due the acidic nature of the period ink, minor erosion is present when the bond is viewed from the back. In common with virtually all documents of this type, numerous horizontal and vertical folds (as well as some on the diagonal) are present (these folds occurred when the bonds were placed in safes or the cubbyholes of desks), with wrinkles noted at the edges (especially at the top). The margins are average for the issue, though the top is larger than generally seen. Measuring approximately 13⅞ x 14¼ 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.
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