Is confederate currency rare or valuable?
dalladalla69
Posts: 61 ✭
Saw this auction and was surprised to see confederate currency that survived the civil war.
I always assumed our govt destroyed it all when they won.
Are pieces like this rare? or are they more common than I think?
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Pieces like that are not rare and are considered common by today's standards. Back in the 1980's there were some dealers at coin & currency shows that had a trunk load of the stuff. There are rare types/varieties that are valuable, however my interests are in a different field so I never really researched it.
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These are common. They were issued in large quantities and many were in the public's hands when they became worthless. Additionally, huge quantities were captured by the Union Army and the government gave away many of these with large quantities still remaining in the Smithsonian/NNC. Millions were issued and hundreds of thousands, or maybe a few million of all type combined still survive.
They are fairly valuable considering how many survive. Common notes, like the 1864 issue in the Ebay listing, are worth $20-$30 each despite the fact that there are plenty of these types around for collectors. The rarest and most valuable Confederate notes sell for $25-$50,000, and occasionally a bit more.
What they said...
They are a neat, historic, and inexpensive memento of the Civil War.
_I always assumed our govt destroyed it all when they won. _
Actually, when the U. S. government confiscated millions of notes at the end of the war, they ended up in warehouses then, a couple of decades later, some of it was handed out to Grand Army of the Republic posts (the Civil War Veterans organization) around the country as souvenirs. Just like with coins, some varieties are valuable and can be worth five figures while most of the notes, particularly the 1864 issues, are dirt common. Then, throw in the millions of reproductions that were made in the early 1960s to mark the centennial of the Civil War, and they're all over the place.
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No. And there is so many counterfeits out there it's just astounding. I remember they used to give away reproduction notes in cereal. Wheaties or Cheerios I think.
Yes - The latest book by Don C Kelly lists values for CSA and Obsoletes. These are a booming market, I sell many from my table at shows.
I looked on EBay at the prices and I was astounded. Especially the 1864 series; there must be a ton of those. As I said earlier they used to give away 'replicas' in cereal when I was a kid and there was no law against counterfeiting CSA notes. During the War between the States both sides counterfeited Confederate currency.
The contemporary counterfeits (made during the Civil War) are collectible with scarcer ones selling in the hundreds of dollars.
Copies, often one-sided, were produced for advertising with ads on the blank side mostly from around the 1880s-1920s but continue to be produced today. Value of these depends on type of business and location. Small, Western locations and unusual businesses tend to have more value. These can be worth $5-$500 or so. Most are $10-$20.
Novelty copies or Fantasy (designs never produced) have been produced continuously since around the 1950s. These would include the sets distributed in Cheerios boxes during the 1960s. The Cheerios notes have a little value but most modern (1950s-date) copies have little or no value.
I see so many of the modern replicas at shows. Usually from the public walking the floor hoping they have value!
Russell do you have an image of the Cheerios variety. I’d be interested to know what those look like ...I probably have a few.
Do Google search on "Confederate Cheerios" and choose the "Images" tab. There are plenty.
https://www.google.com/search?q=confederate+cheerios&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjqgonOnbLkAhVic98KHaGuDckQsAR6BAgJEAE&biw=1366&bih=625
Fun!
Years ago there was a dealer in Confederate currency who would sometimes light his cigar with a common Confederate note.
The green sheet will be covering CSA currency soon.
Sell my graded CSA quickly.
Too many fakes to buy any non PMG graded bills. IMO.
The problem with PMG graded Confederate notes is limited selection. The vast majority of Confederate notes remain uncertified for several reasons and that isn't likely to change.
Buying from a fair dealer who is knowledgeable in this area, like Pierre Fricke, is a good way to assure that you won't be buying a fake. Once you develop a little experience in this area, 99.9% of the fakes are pretty easy to spot. They are not like coins where there are some very deceptive fakes.
I agree that the PMG graded notes are slim but, unless you are an absolute expert at identification, buying that raw stuff is risky, IMO. Just perused EBay and there must have been dozens of 1864 $10.00 CSA notes and the sellers want over a hundred bucks for some. Each to his own I suppose but paper has gotten too inflated for this collector.
PS: As for fakes to make a real good one a great computer and a scanner will do the trick. You only have to fake one side and the paper isn't like US Govt stock. You can buy old paper on line.