0 Confederate States Coupon Bond – Criswell 120, Ball 212

Description

0 Confederate States Coupon Bond – Criswell 120, Ball 212
Offered for your consideration is a 0 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. 120 and by the late Dr. Douglas Ball as B. 212. The central vignette depicts a standing Confederate officer in his uniform, one hand on his sword and the other resting against a tree. He gazes at a distant body of water, traditionally identified as the Rappahannock River. A group of mounted soldiers can be seen dimly in the background. Immediately above this scene, presented in an arc, is printed
“Confederate States of America Loan”
, as well as “
AUTHORIZED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS C. S. A. of FEBRUARY 20
th
1863.
”, while below is the financial obligation, executed in a lovely italic script. According to this obligation,
“On the first day of July 1868, the Confederate States of America, will pay to the Bearer of this Bond … the Sum of One Hundred Dollars, with Interest thereon from date, at the rate of Seven per Cent. per annum …”
. It further states that
“… This contract is authorized by An Act of Congress approved 20
th
February 1863, Entitled “An Act to authorize the issue of Bonds for funding Treasury Notes,” and is upon the Express Condition that said Confederate States may from time to time, extend the time of payment for any period not exceeding thirty years, from this date, at the same rate of interest …”
. It was signed and sealed
“… at Richmond, this second day of March 1863 …”
by
“C A Rose”
in his capacity as an assistant
“
for
Register of the Treasury”
. A second, smaller vignette, depicting what appears to be a race between a sidewheel seamer on a river and a train on the shore behind, can be seen at the bottom. A decorative border encloses the above elements, neatly separating them from the seven remaining interest coupons. Each of these coupons is valued at
“THREE 50/100 DOLLARS”
and is hand signed by
“N Giles”
(Miss N. Giles), a female employee of the Confederate treasury. This bond was printed on the same pink paper used on two other bond types and some of the currency issued at the same time. In common with most government bonds of this era, the back is blank. Confederate financial records indicate that 31,066 bonds of this type were originally issued, a considerable amount given the time and the military situation (the authorizing act was passed less than 3 months before the stunning Confederate victory at Chancellorsville, and less than 6 months before the dual losses at Gettysburg and Vicksburg). While not particularly rare, this bond is very popular with collectors and framers alike. This is a great opportunity to add one to your collection.
Charles A. Rose
served as one of two assistant registers, the other being E. Apperson. Little is known of him except that he was 53 years old when he was appointed in 1863 and was a Richmond notary public. He had worked for the treasury department earlier, with his initials (CAR) appearing on numerous bonds. Following his appointment, Rose remained as an assistant register until the close of the war.
Very minor toning is present across the entire surface of the presently offered specimen, imparting to the bond a somewhat subdued appearance. Numerous foxing spots are scattered throughout the design, though most of these are relatively small (those in the selvage and on the back could be easily hidden if this piece were framed). The contrast is average for the issue, with the manuscript additions remaining relatively sharp and bold. In common with virtually all documents of this size and type, numerous storage folds and creases are present, though none of these appear to have compromised the integrity of the paper (many of these folds occurred when the bonds were placed in safes or the cubbyholes of desks). Numerous small pinholes can be seen when the bond is held to the light. Minor ink erosion and spreading can be seen at the manuscript additions, particularly at Rose’s signature (this is a result of the poor quality of the paper and the acidic nature of the ink). This interesting and historic reminder of the Lost Cause measures approximately 13¾ x 14 inches, and would look great framed in an office or den.
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