No, I am not talking about bills, or my checking statement, I am referring to Collector's Currency from the mid 1800's. About 6 weeks ago, I ordered some replicas of currency as I have an artifact search/presentation due for my History class on Dec 3rd. They came today and are really neat to look at. If you would like to look at additional replicas, ready to order, you can go to Militaria.Com
As for the history....When the Civil War started there were two types of money in circulation in the North: The largest part was "hard" money-silver and gold coins of the US government; the rest was paper money issued by prominent state banks. As the war progressed, more and more hard money disappeared as people began to hoard the coins.
In 1862, the US govt. began issuing "Greenbacks" (as Fed. currency became called) to supplement the states' paper money. Greenbacks were soon in widespread use, amounting to more than half the currency in circulation. Fractional currency (paper coin) also became prominently used.
The federal Govt. passed strict banking laws in 1863; these laws along with heavy taxes soon caused most of the paper money of the private banks to disappear. The laws did not become effective in the South until after the war was over in 1865.
The picture above is a $1 Pennsylvania 1865, Bank of Montgomery County. It honors four Union Officers, all natives from Mont. Cty. (clockwise left to right): Gen. Adam Slemmer, Gen. Winfield Hancock, Gen. Hartranft; Col. Edwin Scall. The central pic. is of the bank.
Another is a $1 Illinois 1861, Bank of Quincy. The nore detailed the drawing of the Indian hunting a buffalo. The Bank of Qunicy was founded in 1856 and closed in 1862.
The other important piece of paper was the official paperwork, with my "gold key" to Phi Theta Kappa.
Paper, paper, paper...guess I need to plant another tree!
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