,000 Confederate States Call Certificate – Criswell 135, Ball 275

Description

,000 Confederate States Call Certificate – Criswell 135, Ball 275
Offered for your consideration is a partly printed ,000 call certificate issued by the Confederate States under the act of March 23, 1863. The central vignette depicts a fully-rigged sailing ship traversing a turbulent sea from right to left. This vessel is similar to those depicted on earlier Confederate currency, though crossing the vignette in an opposite direction. Several smaller ships can be seen in the background, two of them identified by the smoke emanating from their stacks. Above and flanking this scene, is printed “
Call Certificate Authorized by ACT OF CONGRESS, MARCH 23
rd
, 1863
”, with the denomination written in the upper corners. Below this is a lengthy financial obligation which states that “
IT IS HEREBY CERTIFIED, THAT
Twenty Thousand
Dollars in Treasury Notes, issued in the Month of
June
186
3
, have been deposited in the Treasury at
Charleston S. C.
by the person to whom this Certificate is indorsed by the Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, or Depositary at said place of Deposit; and that like Notes will be delivered to said person, or his Order, at the said place, or at the Treasury at Richmond, at any time within Six Months, from the first day of the said Month, with Interest from the date of said indorsement, at the rate of five per cent per Annum …
”. There is a stipulation which states that “
… if not so converted, this Certificate shall be exchanged for Bonds, or Registered Stock of the Confederate States, bearing Interest at the rate of six per cent, per Annum, payable thirty years after date, redeemable at the pleasure of the Government any time after five years …
”. The certificate was signed in “
Richmond
” on “
July 1
186
3
” by “
Ro: Tyler
” (Robert Tyler) in his capacity as “
Register of the Treasury
”. All of this material is enclosed in a decorative, rectangular frame, with shells in each corner, upon which are “
CSA
” monograms. The back of this piece was original blank, though it now bears two lengthy manuscript endorsements. The uppermost of these endorsements instructs the reader to “
Pay to the order of Bank of So Ca / Charleston August 6 1863
” under the signature of “
W. Y. Leitch
/
Asst Treasr
”. Below this is a second endorsement which states “
Received payment of the
above principal and interest from W Y Leitch asst Treasurer
” on “
Nov 30/63
”, followed by the signature of “
Geo. B. Reid
” in his capacity as “
Prest.
”. These endorsements are separated by a short column of figures reading “
Principal
000.00
/
116 days Interest
315.22
”, giving a total of “
315.22
”, presumably the amount received by Reid. This certificate was “
Engd & Lithogd by Geo. Dunn & Compy
”, as evidenced by their imprint at the lower left. Confederate financial records indicate that approximately 3,200 on this type of certificate were issued, though they did not indicate how many of each denomination was issued (the larger the denomination, the less pieces issued). An interesting and historic certificate, both from the aspect of the large denomination and the regulations regarding its redemption. A great opportunity to add one of these certificates 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.
The presently offered specimen exhibits signs of moderate period use, followed by subsequent long-term storage. Toning is present across the entire surface, imparting to the paper a beige or light tan hue. Several foxing spots, with a few light stains, most of which are scattered within the design elements. Three sides exhibit reasonable margins, while the fourth (the left) is cut to the frame (in fact, it affects the outer frame-line). The edges are fairly straight, though minor problems are noted for accuracy (paper chipping, stains). Four “+” bank cancellations are noted, one in each corner of the document (very minor paper loss is associated with these). The most glaring problem is the ink erosion associated with the manuscript additions, visible on both sides of the document. The uppermost endorsement on the back has eroded to the front, as has the line under the columns at the center (this has actually burned through the vignette, with associated paper loss). This piece measures approximately 8¾ x 11½ inches. A great piece of Confederate financial history.
A charge of .95 will be added to the winning bid 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