00 Confederate States Bond – Criswell 125A, Ball 210 (C. Ansell wtmk)

Description

00 Confederate States Bond – Criswell 125A, Ball 210 (C. Ansell wtmk)
Offered for your consideration is a 00 coupon bond issued by the Confederate States of America under the Act of February 20, 1863. It was catalogued by the late Grover Criswell as Cr. 125A and by the late Dr. Douglass Ball as B. 210. This bond doesn’t have a conventional central vignette, but features two design elements side by side. To the viewer’s left is a wonderfully rendered portrait of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, while to the viewer’s right is a scene depicting the city of Richmond from the west. A small vignette depicting a sidewheel steamer can be seen between the serial numbers to the viewer’s left of the Davis portrait. Above and below these vignettes, executed in a wavy pattern, is
“THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA LOAN”
, while below is a financial obligation, presented in a lovely italic script. According to this obligation
“… This Contract is authorized by an Act of Congress approved February 20, 1863 Entitled “An Act to authorize the issue of BONDS for funding Treasury notes …”
. The bond was issued
“… at RICHMOND …”
and is dated (in print) the
“… 2
nd
day of March 1863 …”.
In was signed at the conclusion by
“Ro. Tyler”
in his capacity as “
Register of the Treasury”
. An additional vignette, this one depicting a reclining figure of Liberty appears to the left of the Tyler signature. A decorative rectangle featuring the denomination can be seen at the left, with the denomination repeated in numerical format at the center (over the financial obligation). A geometric border encloses the above elements, additionally separating them from the 7 remaining interest coupons. Each coupon is valued at
“FORTY DOLLARS”
and is hand-signed by a clerk in the Confederate Treasury. As with most bonds of this era, the reverse of this bond is blank. What makes this bond particularly interesting is watermarked paper, which reads
“C. ANSELL 1863”
. Cursory research indicates that C Ansell was a London stationer, and that this paper was a “house” stock that was purchased by Major Evans of Evans and Cogswell and sent to the Confederacy. According to Confederate financial records, a total of 36,550 bonds of this type were originally issued, of which approximately 12,200 were issued on the watermarked paper. While common, the design and historical importance make this bond very popular with collectors and therefore highly desirable. A great opportunity to add one of these pieces to your collection.
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 to the paper. This toning appears slightly darker at the edges, especially at the left and top. In common with virtually all documents of this type, numerous storage folds, both vertical and horizontal, are present (these occurred when the documents were placed in safes or the cubbyholes of desks). These fold lines are more pronounced on the blank back due to the lack of design elements and the soiling that naturally clings to them. A couple of small holes are present at the center junction, though these are almost invisible unless the piece is held to the light. Minor soiling is noted at the edges, though this could be matted over if this piece was framed. The edges are somewhat wrinkled and ragged, with a dark stain at the left (it looks almost like coffee), again easily covered with a mat. Sadly, the manuscript additions to this bond are quite faded, though whether this is a result of fading or a lack of ink (or both) is unknown to the seller. Short cuts can be seen between several of the coupons (these were cut by hand). This historic document measures approximately 14 x 15⅛ inches including the selvage. This piece would frame beautifully with a portrait of Jefferson Davis and a wartime view of Richmond (there is a very famous one depicting the city after its fall), thereby becoming the focal point of a den or office.
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