00 Confederate States Bond – Trans-Mississippi Houston – CR. 122, B. 255

Description

00 Confederate States Bond – Trans-Mississippi Houston – CR. 122, B. 255
Offered for your consideration is a 00 bond issued by the Confederate States of America under the Act of February 20
th
1863. It was listed by the late Grover Criswell as Cr. 122 and by the late Dr. Douglas Ball as B. 255. The central vignette features a well-executed portrait of Lieutenant General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, one of the premier generals in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, presented in an oval. Immediately above the portrait, printed in an arc, is
“Confederate States of America LOAN”
, while below is the financial obligation, executed in a lovely italic script. This states (in part) that “
On the first day of July 1868, the Confederate States of America will pay to the Bearer of this Bond … the Sum of ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS, with Interest thereon … at the rate of Seven per Cent per annum …
”. It further indicates that “…
This debt is authorized by an Act of Congress … 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 …”
. 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 at race between a sidewheel steamer on a river and a train on the shore behind, can be seen at the bottom. A decorative, scalloped border encloses the above elements, neatly separating them from the 9 remaining interest coupons. Each coupon is valued at
“THIRTY-FIVE DOLLARS”
and is hand-signed by
“B McRae”
(Miss B. McRae), a female employee in the Confederate Treasury. This bond was printed on the same pink paper used on 2 other bonds and some of the currency issued at the same time. In common with most government bonds of this era, the back was blank, though it does bear two overlapping red Treasury stamps at the upper right. What makes this piece particularly interesting is the red, three-line stamp which appears vertically at the center of the front, with an associated black location stamp and signature below. The red stamp states that “
This Bond not to be valid until
/
endorsed by the Depositary by
/
whom it is to be issued.
”, while the location stamp, presented in large, black letters reads “
ISSUED AT HOUSTON, TEXAS
”. This is followed by the signature of “
James Sorley
” in his capacity as “
DEPOSITARY
”. Bonds bearing these stamps were to be shipped to the Western Theater of the war, after the entire Mississippi River was in Union hands. The bonds were signed in Richmond, and therefore legal had they been captured by the enemy. The red, three-line stamp was applied so that the bonds would not become valid until they reached their destination and were signed by the issuing depositary. In this case, the manuscript notation was applied at the time of issue, along with the signature. The Confederate financial records indicate that approximately 900 bonds of this type were originally issued by James Sorley, a fairly significant quantity for the time, though many pieces were probably lost or destroyed in the intervening 150+ years. While not extremely rare, pieces of this type are truly historic reminders of this turbulent time in American history. The average American, even those well versed in history, is unaware that these bonds exist. Now is your chance to add one to your collection.
Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson was born on January 21, 1824 in Clarksburg, Virginia (now West Virginia). He graduated from the U. S. Military Academy in 1846, after which he served in the Mexican War, winning brevets at Churubusco and Chapultepec. He resigned his commission in 1851 to become a professor of military tactics at the Virginia Military Institute. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Jackson assisted in the organization of troops at Harper’s Ferry, leading to his appointment as brigadier general. He earned his famous sobriquet, “Stonewall”, at the battle of First Manassas (Bull Run), after which he was promoted to major general and detailed to the Shenandoah Valley. He led his troops in the Shenandoah Valley campaign, the Seven Days campaign, Second Manassas, and at the battle of Sharpsburg (Antietam), for which he was promoted to lieutenant general. He fought at the battle of Fredericksburg in December, 1862 and led the daring assault on the Federal wing at the battle of Chancellorsville in May, 1863. While reconnoitering the enemy lines at Chancellorsville, Jackson was mortally wounded by his own soldiers, dying on May 10, 1863.
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.
Moderate toning is present across the entire surface of the presently offered specimen, imparting to the bond a somewhat subdued appearance. This situation is exacerbated by the presence of minor soiling and dust on the surface. Numerous scattered foxing spots are present throughout the design, particularly noticeable in the selvage, among the coupons, and on the blank back (some of the spots in the selvage could be matted over if the bond was framed for display). The contrast is somewhat below average for the issue (some of the text, including the red overprint, is difficult to read due to the lack of ink and the layer of dust), with the manuscript additions exhibiting significant ink corrosion and migration. This corrosion has caused noticeable damage to the signatures on the coupons, with several sections of missing paper clearly visible (some of the remaining paper has been strengthened with archival tape). In common with virtually all documents of this size and type, numerous storage folds and creases are present, some of which have compromised the integrity of the paper (these folds occurred when the bonds were placed in safes or the cubbyholes of desks). Many small holes can be seen when the bond is held to the light, though none of these are large enough to affect the overall eye-appeal of the piece. The edges are somewhat ragged and irregular, especially at the bottom, where several interest coupons have been removed for redemption (a small cut is noted between two of the coupons). This interesting and historic piece measures approximately 14 x 14¼ inches, and as previously mentioned, it would look great framed in a den or office.
If you have any additional questions regarding this item, please ask before purchasing.
A charge of .95 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 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