0 Confederate States Coupon Bond – Criswell 63, Ball 81

Description

0 Confederate States Coupon Bond – Criswell 63, Ball 81
Offered for your consideration is a 0 bond issued by the Confederate States of America under the Act of August 19, 1861. It was listed by the late Grover Criswell as Cr. 63 and by the late Dr. Douglas Ball as B. 81. The central vignette features a well-executed portrait of Stephen R. Mallory, a pre-war United States Senator from Florida and the resourceful Confederate Secretary of the Navy, presented in a circle, with three female figures around. One of the figures clearly represents Justice or the law, while a second one appears to represent Commerce or Science. The third, supporting a flag in the center may represent the Confederacy or the military. Immediately above this scene, printed in an arc, is
“CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA / LOAN”
, while below is printed “
AUTHORIZED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS. C. S. A. OF AUGUST 19, 1861
”. A financial obligation, executed in a lovely italic script, follows. This obligation states (in part) that “
On the first day of July 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 …
”. It further declares that “…
This debt is authorized by an Act of Congress … entitled “An Act to authorize the issue of Treasury Notes, and provide a War Tax for their redemption …”
. It was signed and sealed
“… at RICHMOND, this
20
day of
Oct
186
2
…”
by
“
Ro. Tyler
”
in his capacity as
“Register of the Treasury”
. A decorative, rectangular border encloses the above elements, neatly separating them from the seventeen remaining interest coupons. Each coupon is valued at
“TWENTY DOLLARS”
and is hand-signed by
“J H Macrae”
, one of the many employees in the Confederate Treasury tasked with signing financial instruments. As with most bonds of this era, the reverse of this bond was unaccomplished (it now bears several pencil notations and a black number stamp). According to Confederate financial records, a total of 1,397 bonds of this type were originally issued. Undoubtedly, many of this original issuance would have been lost or destroyed in the intervening 150+ years, making the remaining pieces rare and desirable. Bonds of this type are especially popular with framers due to the large and evocative central vignette. This is a great opportunity to add one of these interesting 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.
The presently offered specimen exhibits of signs of period use, followed by many years of storage. Toning is present across the entire surface, imparting an off-white to beige appearance to the piece, with the edges being slightly darker due to handling (these handling issues are due principally to the oils and contaminates which are present on our hands). Several foxing spots are scattered throughout this piece, with the majority of these being in the selvage and on the back. In common with virtually all documents of this type, numerous horizontal and vertical (with some on the diagonal) folds are present (these folds occurred when the bonds were placed in safes or the cubbyholes of desks).
There are several scattered pinholes noted for accuracy, as these are only visible when the bond is held to the light. The edges are somewhat ragged, easily covered with a mat if the piece was framed. This interesting and historic bond measures 13⅞ x 14¾ inches and would look great framed with a portrait of Mallory or a photograph of a Confederate naval vessel.
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