0 Confederate States Coupon Bond – Cr. 46, B-122 – Serial #41

Description

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. 46 and by the late Dr. Douglas Ball as B. 122. The central vignette features a portrait of Thomas Bragg, a pre-war governor of North Carolina and a short-term Confederate Attorney General, presented in a circular frame and surrounded by a floral design. Printed immediately above, presented 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 that
“… The Confederate States of America will pay to the Bearer of this Bond … the sum of ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS with Interest …”
and 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
5
day of
Jan
186
3
…”
, with the signature of the register,
“Ro. Tyler”
, appearing at the lower right. A decorative, rectangular border encloses all of the forgoing material, neatly separating it from the remaining 30 interest coupons, each valued at
“FOUR DOLLARS”
and hand-signed by (Miss)
“A. S. Bradford”
, a female employee of the Confederate Treasury.
In common with most government bonds of this era, the reverse of this piece is blank. Confederate fiscal records indicate that 1,798 bonds of this type were originally issued, though how many have survived the intervening 150+ years is unknown. This particular bond has the added interest of being among the first 100 pieces issued, making it much more popular with collectors of low serial number pieces. A great bond to frame with a piece of Confederate currency, perfect for a den or office.
Thomas Bragg was born in Warrenton, North Carolina on November 9 or 10, 1810. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1833. He was elected to the state legislature in 1842 and 1844, after which he served as governor of North Carolina from 1855 to 1859 and a United States senator from 1859 until 1861. He served as the Confederate attorney general from November 21, 1861 until his resignation on March 18, 1862. He returned to North Carolina and was prominent in that state’s war activities. Following the war, Bragg resumed the practice of law, continuing in that profession until his death on January 21, 1872.
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). The contrast is average for the issue, with the manuscript additions being sharp and fully legible. The Criswell number,
“46”
, appears in pencil at the upper right (the practice of writing the catalogue number 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), one of which seems to have weakened the paper at the upper right. The margins are tight around the entire piece, with the bottom edge being cut to the coupons. This bond, due to the floral design around the portrait, is very popular with framers, with the presently offered piece being even more desirable because of the low serial number. An attractive and historic memento of that turbulent period in American history.
A charge of .95 for postage and insurance will be added to the sale.
If you have any questions, 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