Original hand signed “Five Dollars” Confederate note, dated “September 2, 1861”

This note was printed with black ink. There is no design on the back. There would have been a hand inscribed serial number in red ink, but it has faded away over time. The note was printed by “J.T. Paterson, Columbia, S.C.”. There were about 200 different people who signed for each treasury official. For the most part they were women, many the wives or daughters of Confederate soldiers who had been killed in action.

Between the winter of 1860 and the spring of 1861, eleven Southern states broke away from the United States to form a new country, the Confederate States of America (CSA). As a fledgling nation, the Confederacy faced two obstacles: to create a sense of national unity and to arm its troops to wage a modern war. 

Each issuance pumped millions of dollars into circulation. Counterfeiters added to the deluge with freshly made fakes. The result was a staggering amount of paper money and massive inflation. The CSA responded to the problem by recalling, cancelling, and burning old notes to remove them from circulation. I believe this note was one that was cancelled - there are some thin cuts in the paper. 

At one time this note had been glued to a thin piece of cardboard. There is a possibility of removing it, but I wouldn’t attempt it – it is fine for display just as it is. This bill obviously went through the war because of its well worn condition. The note will be shipped in a protective sleeve.