Coins, Currency, and Medals

$100,000 U.S. Gold Certificate

The museum possesses one of the largest and most diverse numismatic collections in the world. Its diverse holdings represent every inhabited continent and span more than three millennia. The collection includes coins, paper money, medals, tokens, commodity and alternative currencies, coin dies, printing plates, scales and weights, financial documents and apparatuses, credit cards, and objects that reflect established and emerging digital monetary technologies worldwide.

Place: United States

Civil War Token, New York, 1863

Approximately one million pieces of Lindenmueller Currency were struck during the course of the Civil War Token’s short lifespan. Tokens were generally used for buying goods and fares on trains. Since Civil War Tokens could not be redeemed for U.S.
Description
Approximately one million pieces of Lindenmueller Currency were struck during the course of the Civil War Token’s short lifespan. Tokens were generally used for buying goods and fares on trains. Since Civil War Tokens could not be redeemed for U.S. currency, the system had inherent flaws. This was evident when New York’s Third Avenue Railroad requested that Lindenmueller redeem his tokens which they accepted as payment for fares. Lindenmueller laughingly declined to pay out the Third Avenue Railroad who then took their issue to the Federal Government. In 1864 Congress passed an act that forbade any private businesses or individuals to produce money. This act essentially shut down the production of Civil War Tokens.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1863
associated date
1863
ID Number
2001.0009.0661
accession number
2001.0009
catalog number
2001.0009.0661

10 Dollars

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).
Description
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. Money connected both issues—it would celebrate the new nation and finance the war. On March 9, 1861, the CSA authorized a national currency.
Between 1861 and 1865, the new government issued Confederate currency on eight separate occasions. 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. The first official recall on February 17th, 1864, came after two years of less harsh—but unsuccessful—efforts to reduce the volume of currency in circulation.
The problem of what to do with all of the recalled money fell to the Confederate Treasury Department, which enlisted the help of banks and depositories. Historian and numismatist Douglas Ball identified three primary strategies used to cancel currency. Machine-powered circular punches were preferred by the Treasury, while banks canceled currency by striking it with bank hammers, which left two x-shaped slices on the note. Depositories also used bank hammers, but sometimes opted to cut the notes with scissors, leaving two small triangles along the bottom edge.
Once cancelled, all notes were sent to the Confederate Treasury in Richmond, Virginia, to be burned. Some notes escaped destruction. At war’s end, the Union Army confiscated the notes along with Confederate government records to investigate a possible connection between the Confederacy and President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Today, researchers examine Confederate Currency seeking clues about the economic, social, and technological underpinnings of the South during the Civil War. Smithsonian curator and historian Richard Doty has discovered physical evidence of some of the extraordinary measures people undertook to keep their money in circulation. Stitches, postage stamps, pieces of newsprint, and even fragments of love letters were used to reinforce torn notes.
The careful repair of Confederate currency was done for reasons that had nothing to do with simple economics. Money has always been seen as an emblem of sovereignty. So if people simply allowed their money to disintegrate –and some must have been tempted in that direction, as the value of their money had shrunk almost to the vanishing point by the final months of the war– what did that say about their belief in the Cause?
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1863
ID Number
1998.0063.0457
accession number
1998.0063
catalog number
1998.0063.0457

food coupons

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1970
depicted (sitter)
Lincoln, Abraham
maker
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
ID Number
2010.0019.053
accession number
2010.0019
catalog number
2010.0019.053
serial number
E54697167A

Superior Bank Mastercard (sample) -- Valid thru 00/00

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
unknown
maker
unknown
ID Number
1992.0061.1554
catalog number
1992.0061.1554
accession number
1992.0061
catalog number
92.61.1554

10 Dollars

One (1) ten dollar Confederate States of America paper currency. Richmond, Virginia;"Lithod. by Evans & Cogswell", "Engraved by Keatinge & Ball, Columbia, S.C.";Front Center Image: State Capitol at Columbia, S.C.;Front Right Image: R.M.T. Hunter;Plate Letter "H", CSA Serial "No.
Description
One (1) ten dollar Confederate States of America paper currency. Richmond, Virginia;
"Lithod. by Evans & Cogswell", "Engraved by Keatinge & Ball, Columbia, S.C.";
Front Center Image: State Capitol at Columbia, S.C.;
Front Right Image: R.M.T. Hunter;
Plate Letter "H", CSA Serial "No. 32084", "January 1864" in red;
Back Image: Ten "X"s inside medallions in an x-formation;
Back Text: "Ten Dollars" on banner Above and Below "X"s;
Punch Canceled.
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. Money connected both issues—it would celebrate the new nation and finance the war. On March 9, 1861, the CSA authorized a national currency.
Between 1861 and 1865, the new government issued Confederate currency on eight separate occasions. 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. The first official recall on February 17th, 1864, came after two years of less harsh—but unsuccessful—efforts to reduce the volume of currency in circulation.
The problem of what to do with all of the recalled money fell to the Confederate Treasury Department, which enlisted the help of banks and depositories. Historian and numismatist Douglas Ball identified three primary strategies used to cancel currency. Machine-powered circular punches were preferred by the Treasury, while banks canceled currency by striking it with bank hammers, which left two x-shaped slices on the note. Depositories also used bank hammers, but sometimes opted to cut the notes with scissors, leaving two small triangles along the bottom edge.
Once cancelled, all notes were sent to the Confederate Treasury in Richmond, Virginia, to be burned. Some notes escaped destruction. At war’s end, the Union Army confiscated the notes along with Confederate government records to investigate a possible connection between the Confederacy and President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Today, researchers examine Confederate Currency seeking clues about the economic, social, and technological underpinnings of the South during the Civil War. Smithsonian curator and historian Richard Doty has discovered physical evidence of some of the extraordinary measures people undertook to keep their money in circulation. Stitches, postage stamps, pieces of newsprint, and even fragments of love letters were used to reinforce torn notes.
The careful repair of Confederate currency was done for reasons that had nothing to do with simple economics. Money has always been seen as an emblem of sovereignty. So if people simply allowed their money to disintegrate –and some must have been tempted in that direction, as the value of their money had shrunk almost to the vanishing point by the final months of the war– what did that say about their belief in the Cause?
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1863
ID Number
1998.0063.0182
accession number
1998.0063
catalog number
1998.0063.0182

1 Dollar New Martinsville Glass Manufacturing Co. Note, 1932

The New Martinsville Glass Manufacturing Company of New Martinsville, West Virginia, issued this one dollar promissory note on February 13, 1932, guaranteed by the treasurer, John F. Martin, and countersigned by the company’s president, Frank Wells Clark.
Description
The New Martinsville Glass Manufacturing Company of New Martinsville, West Virginia, issued this one dollar promissory note on February 13, 1932, guaranteed by the treasurer, John F. Martin, and countersigned by the company’s president, Frank Wells Clark. The note was redeemable for a cash dollar sixty days after the issuing date, and this note was promptly redeemed on April 12, 1932. This kind of note is commonly known as Depression scrip. As the name would suggest, notes like these were used during the Great Depression when cash was hard to come by and companies may have had trouble paying their debts. When banks were closing and people were hoarding money, local towns and factories issued their own currency or promissory notes to stimulate the local economy.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1932
ID Number
1979.1263.00003
accession number
1979.1263
catalog number
1979.1263.00003
serial number
7115

5 Dollars, Confederate States of America, 1862

One (1) 5 dollar Confederate States of America currency;Center Image, State Capitol of Richmond, Va;Bottom Right Corner Image, "C.G.
Description
One (1) 5 dollar Confederate States of America currency;
Center Image, State Capitol of Richmond, Va;
Bottom Right Corner Image, "C.G. Memminger";
Upper Right Corner Image, "5":
Left Side in Text, "FIVE";
At bottom of "FIVE", "1st Series";
Center Upper Left/Right Serial: "C";
Bottom Center; "Engraved by Keatinge & Ball, Columbia SC";
CSA Serial # at Bottom Left : "No. 81791";
Bottom Left of Center: "December 2, 1862";
Cut Canceled.
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. Money connected both issues—it would celebrate the new nation and finance the war. On March 9, 1861, the CSA authorized a national currency.
Between 1861 and 1865, the new government issued Confederate currency on eight separate occasions. 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. The first official recall on February 17th, 1864, came after two years of less harsh—but unsuccessful—efforts to reduce the volume of currency in circulation.
The problem of what to do with all of the recalled money fell to the Confederate Treasury Department, which enlisted the help of banks and depositories. Historian and numismatist Douglas Ball identified three primary strategies used to cancel currency. Machine-powered circular punches were preferred by the Treasury, while banks canceled currency by striking it with bank hammers, which left two x-shaped slices on the note. Depositories also used bank hammers, but sometimes opted to cut the notes with scissors, leaving two small triangles along the bottom edge.
Once cancelled, all notes were sent to the Confederate Treasury in Richmond, Virginia, to be burned. Some notes escaped destruction. At war’s end, the Union Army confiscated the notes along with Confederate government records to investigate a possible connection between the Confederacy and President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Today, researchers examine Confederate Currency seeking clues about the economic, social, and technological underpinnings of the South during the Civil War. Smithsonian curator and historian Richard Doty has discovered physical evidence of some of the extraordinary measures people undertook to keep their money in circulation. Stitches, postage stamps, pieces of newsprint, and even fragments of love letters were used to reinforce torn notes.
The careful repair of Confederate currency was done for reasons that had nothing to do with simple economics. Money has always been seen as an emblem of sovereignty. So if people simply allowed their money to disintegrate –and some must have been tempted in that direction, as the value of their money had shrunk almost to the vanishing point by the final months of the war– what did that say about their belief in the Cause?
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1862
ID Number
1998.0063.0636
accession number
1998.0063
catalog number
1998.0063.0636

10 Dollars

One (1) ten dollar Confederate States of America paper currency. Richmond, Virginia;"Lithod. by Evans & Cogswell", "Engraved by Keatinge & Ball, Columbia, S.C.";Front Center Image: State Capitol at Columbia, S.C.;Front Right Image: R.M.T.
Description
One (1) ten dollar Confederate States of America paper currency. Richmond, Virginia;
"Lithod. by Evans & Cogswell", "Engraved by Keatinge & Ball, Columbia, S.C.";
Front Center Image: State Capitol at Columbia, S.C.;
Front Right Image: R.M.T. Hunter;
"1st Series", Plate Letter "A", CSA Serial "No. 14240", "April 1863" in red;
Back Image: Ten "X"s inside medallions in an x-formation;
Back Text: "Ten Dollars" on banner Above and Below "X"s;
Cut Canceled.
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. Money connected both issues—it would celebrate the new nation and finance the war. On March 9, 1861, the CSA authorized a national currency.
Between 1861 and 1865, the new government issued Confederate currency on eight separate occasions. 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. The first official recall on February 17th, 1864, came after two years of less harsh—but unsuccessful—efforts to reduce the volume of currency in circulation.
The problem of what to do with all of the recalled money fell to the Confederate Treasury Department, which enlisted the help of banks and depositories. Historian and numismatist Douglas Ball identified three primary strategies used to cancel currency. Machine-powered circular punches were preferred by the Treasury, while banks canceled currency by striking it with bank hammers, which left two x-shaped slices on the note. Depositories also used bank hammers, but sometimes opted to cut the notes with scissors, leaving two small triangles along the bottom edge.
Once cancelled, all notes were sent to the Confederate Treasury in Richmond, Virginia, to be burned. Some notes escaped destruction. At war’s end, the Union Army confiscated the notes along with Confederate government records to investigate a possible connection between the Confederacy and President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Today, researchers examine Confederate Currency seeking clues about the economic, social, and technological underpinnings of the South during the Civil War. Smithsonian curator and historian Richard Doty has discovered physical evidence of some of the extraordinary measures people undertook to keep their money in circulation. Stitches, postage stamps, pieces of newsprint, and even fragments of love letters were used to reinforce torn notes.
The careful repair of Confederate currency was done for reasons that had nothing to do with simple economics. Money has always been seen as an emblem of sovereignty. So if people simply allowed their money to disintegrate –and some must have been tempted in that direction, as the value of their money had shrunk almost to the vanishing point by the final months of the war– what did that say about their belief in the Cause?
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1863
ID Number
1998.0063.0195
accession number
1998.0063
catalog number
1998.0063.0195

food coupons

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1981 A
1981
maker
American Bank Note Company
ID Number
2010.0019.023
accession number
2010.0019
catalog number
2010.0019.023
serial number
E89998601C

EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2010.0019.130
accession number
2010.0019
catalog number
2010.0019.130

5 Dollars, Confederate States of America, 1862

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).
Description
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. Money connected both issues—it would celebrate the new nation and finance the war. On March 9, 1861, the CSA authorized a national currency.
Between 1861 and 1865, the new government issued Confederate currency on eight separate occasions. 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. The first official recall on February 17th, 1864, came after two years of less harsh—but unsuccessful—efforts to reduce the volume of currency in circulation.
The problem of what to do with all of the recalled money fell to the Confederate Treasury Department, which enlisted the help of banks and depositories. Historian and numismatist Douglas Ball identified three primary strategies used to cancel currency. Machine-powered circular punches were preferred by the Treasury, while banks canceled currency by striking it with bank hammers, which left two x-shaped slices on the note. Depositories also used bank hammers, but sometimes opted to cut the notes with scissors, leaving two small triangles along the bottom edge.
Once cancelled, all notes were sent to the Confederate Treasury in Richmond, Virginia, to be burned. Some notes escaped destruction. At war’s end, the Union Army confiscated the notes along with Confederate government records to investigate a possible connection between the Confederacy and President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Today, researchers examine Confederate Currency seeking clues about the economic, social, and technological underpinnings of the South during the Civil War. Smithsonian curator and historian Richard Doty has discovered physical evidence of some of the extraordinary measures people undertook to keep their money in circulation. Stitches, postage stamps, pieces of newsprint, and even fragments of love letters were used to reinforce torn notes.
The careful repair of Confederate currency was done for reasons that had nothing to do with simple economics. Money has always been seen as an emblem of sovereignty. So if people simply allowed their money to disintegrate –and some must have been tempted in that direction, as the value of their money had shrunk almost to the vanishing point by the final months of the war– what did that say about their belief in the Cause?
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1862
ID Number
1998.0063.0382
accession number
1998.0063
catalog number
1998.0063.0382

10 Dollars

One (1) ten dollar Confederate States of America paper currency. Richmond, Virginia;"Lithod. by Evans & Cogswell", "Engraved by Keatinge & Ball, Columbia, S.C.";Front Center Image: State Capitol at Columbia, S.C.;Front Right Image: R.M.T.
Description
One (1) ten dollar Confederate States of America paper currency. Richmond, Virginia;
"Lithod. by Evans & Cogswell", "Engraved by Keatinge & Ball, Columbia, S.C.";
Front Center Image: State Capitol at Columbia, S.C.;
Front Right Image: R.M.T. Hunter;
"1st Series", Plate Letter "B", CSA Serial "No. 29928", "May 1863" in red;
Back Image: Ten "X"s inside medallions in an x-formation;
Back Text: "Ten Dollars" on banner Above and Below "X"s;
Punch Canceled.
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. Money connected both issues—it would celebrate the new nation and finance the war. On March 9, 1861, the CSA authorized a national currency.
Between 1861 and 1865, the new government issued Confederate currency on eight separate occasions. 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. The first official recall on February 17th, 1864, came after two years of less harsh—but unsuccessful—efforts to reduce the volume of currency in circulation.
The problem of what to do with all of the recalled money fell to the Confederate Treasury Department, which enlisted the help of banks and depositories. Historian and numismatist Douglas Ball identified three primary strategies used to cancel currency. Machine-powered circular punches were preferred by the Treasury, while banks canceled currency by striking it with bank hammers, which left two x-shaped slices on the note. Depositories also used bank hammers, but sometimes opted to cut the notes with scissors, leaving two small triangles along the bottom edge.
Once cancelled, all notes were sent to the Confederate Treasury in Richmond, Virginia, to be burned. Some notes escaped destruction. At war’s end, the Union Army confiscated the notes along with Confederate government records to investigate a possible connection between the Confederacy and President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Today, researchers examine Confederate Currency seeking clues about the economic, social, and technological underpinnings of the South during the Civil War. Smithsonian curator and historian Richard Doty has discovered physical evidence of some of the extraordinary measures people undertook to keep their money in circulation. Stitches, postage stamps, pieces of newsprint, and even fragments of love letters were used to reinforce torn notes.
The careful repair of Confederate currency was done for reasons that had nothing to do with simple economics. Money has always been seen as an emblem of sovereignty. So if people simply allowed their money to disintegrate –and some must have been tempted in that direction, as the value of their money had shrunk almost to the vanishing point by the final months of the war– what did that say about their belief in the Cause?
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1863
ID Number
1998.0063.0185
accession number
1998.0063
catalog number
1998.0063.0185

20 Dollars, United States, 1885

One (1) 20 dollar coinUnited States, 1885Obverse Image: Liberty wearing a coronet and facing left. 13 stars around.Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1885Reverse Image: Heraldic eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest.
Description (Brief)
One (1) 20 dollar coin
United States, 1885
Obverse Image: Liberty wearing a coronet and facing left. 13 stars around.
Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1885
Reverse Image: Heraldic eagle with wings outstretched clutching arrows and branch in talons, shield over chest. Scrolls on either side of eagle, ring of 13 stars above eagle's head, rays above stars.
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / TWENTY DOLLARS / IN GOD WE TRUST / E PLURIBUS UNUM / S
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1885
designer
Longacre, James Barton
mint
U.S. Mint, San Francisco
ID Number
NU.255927.0704
accession number
255927
catalog number
NU85796.02

5 Dollars, Confederate States of America, 1862

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).
Description
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. Money connected both issues—it would celebrate the new nation and finance the war. On March 9, 1861, the CSA authorized a national currency.
Between 1861 and 1865, the new government issued Confederate currency on eight separate occasions. 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. The first official recall on February 17th, 1864, came after two years of less harsh—but unsuccessful—efforts to reduce the volume of currency in circulation.
The problem of what to do with all of the recalled money fell to the Confederate Treasury Department, which enlisted the help of banks and depositories. Historian and numismatist Douglas Ball identified three primary strategies used to cancel currency. Machine-powered circular punches were preferred by the Treasury, while banks canceled currency by striking it with bank hammers, which left two x-shaped slices on the note. Depositories also used bank hammers, but sometimes opted to cut the notes with scissors, leaving two small triangles along the bottom edge.
Once cancelled, all notes were sent to the Confederate Treasury in Richmond, Virginia, to be burned. Some notes escaped destruction. At war’s end, the Union Army confiscated the notes along with Confederate government records to investigate a possible connection between the Confederacy and President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Today, researchers examine Confederate Currency seeking clues about the economic, social, and technological underpinnings of the South during the Civil War. Smithsonian curator and historian Richard Doty has discovered physical evidence of some of the extraordinary measures people undertook to keep their money in circulation. Stitches, postage stamps, pieces of newsprint, and even fragments of love letters were used to reinforce torn notes.
The careful repair of Confederate currency was done for reasons that had nothing to do with simple economics. Money has always been seen as an emblem of sovereignty. So if people simply allowed their money to disintegrate –and some must have been tempted in that direction, as the value of their money had shrunk almost to the vanishing point by the final months of the war– what did that say about their belief in the Cause?
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1862
ID Number
1998.0063.0599
accession number
1998.0063
catalog number
1998.0063.0599

20 Dollars, United States, 1931

One (1) 20 dollar coinUnited States, 1931Obverse Image: Full-length Liberty holding a torch in her right hand and olive branch in left.
Description (Brief)
One (1) 20 dollar coin
United States, 1931
Obverse Image: Full-length Liberty holding a torch in her right hand and olive branch in left. Capitol Dome in lower left; rays of sun in background; stars around rim.
Obverse Text: LIBERTY / 1931 / D
Reverse Image: Eagle flying with sun behind.
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / TWENTY DOLLARS / IN GOD WE TRUST
Edge: E PLURIBUS UNUM divided by stars.
Description
As many as three dozen may have survived, a huge number by the standards of the day which saw most gold coins melted. However, few specimens match the Smithsonian's specimen in terms of condition.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1931
mint
U.S. Mint, Denver
designer
Saint-Gaudens, Augustus
ID Number
NU.68.159.0396
accession number
283645
catalog number
68.159.0396

10 Dollars, Miners Bank, United States, 1849

This ten dollar gold coin was minted by the Miners Bank of San Francisco in 1849.
Description
This ten dollar gold coin was minted by the Miners Bank of San Francisco in 1849. James Marshall’s 1848 discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill kicked off the California gold rush and changed the wealth and reach of the nation, as suddenly gold was in abundant supply and the population was shifting westward. With the plentiful gold, private companies sprang up to supply coinage for the growing population and burgeoning economy. One such company was the Miners Bank, founded in 1849. The bank issued both coins and notes, but when the coins were assayed at only .866 fineness they soon fell into disfavor and could only be redeemed at a 20% discount. Many of the coins were melted down and remade into official U.S. slugs. On the obverse, or front, is an eagle with spread wings and a breast shield, with 13 stars and “California” also printed above. On the reverse is printed “Miners, Bank” at the top and “Ten. D.” in the center, with “San Francisco” below and two stars in the center.
date made
1849
maker
Miners' Bank
ID Number
NU.68.159.1159
accession number
283645
catalog number
68.159.1159

10 Dollars, Confederate States of America, 1863

One(1) 10 dollar Confederate States of America currency, Richmond, Virginia, 1863;Front Image: State Capitol of Columbia, S.C. at Center; R.M.T. Hunter at Bottom Right;Front Text: "Lithod.
Description
One(1) 10 dollar Confederate States of America currency, Richmond, Virginia, 1863;
Front Image: State Capitol of Columbia, S.C. at Center; R.M.T. Hunter at Bottom Right;
Front Text: "Lithod. by Evans and Cogswell" at Bottom Left; "E" Upper Left and Right corners; "No.20850" Bottom Left; "January 1864" in red at Upper; Right; "Engraved by Keating & Ball, Columbia, S.C." at Bottom Right;
Back Image: Ten "X"s inside medallions in x-formation;
Back Text: "Ten Dollars" on banner Above and Below "X"s;
Cut Canceled.
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. Money connected both issues—it would celebrate the new nation and finance the war. On March 9, 1861, the CSA authorized a national currency.
Between 1861 and 1865, the new government issued Confederate currency on eight separate occasions. 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. The first official recall on February 17th, 1864, came after two years of less harsh—but unsuccessful—efforts to reduce the volume of currency in circulation.
The problem of what to do with all of the recalled money fell to the Confederate Treasury Department, which enlisted the help of banks and depositories. Historian and numismatist Douglas Ball identified three primary strategies used to cancel currency. Machine-powered circular punches were preferred by the Treasury, while banks canceled currency by striking it with bank hammers, which left two x-shaped slices on the note. Depositories also used bank hammers, but sometimes opted to cut the notes with scissors, leaving two small triangles along the bottom edge.
Once cancelled, all notes were sent to the Confederate Treasury in Richmond, Virginia, to be burned. Some notes escaped destruction. At war’s end, the Union Army confiscated the notes along with Confederate government records to investigate a possible connection between the Confederacy and President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Today, researchers examine Confederate Currency seeking clues about the economic, social, and technological underpinnings of the South during the Civil War. Smithsonian curator and historian Richard Doty has discovered physical evidence of some of the extraordinary measures people undertook to keep their money in circulation. Stitches, postage stamps, pieces of newsprint, and even fragments of love letters were used to reinforce torn notes.
The careful repair of Confederate currency was done for reasons that had nothing to do with simple economics. Money has always been seen as an emblem of sovereignty. So if people simply allowed their money to disintegrate –and some must have been tempted in that direction, as the value of their money had shrunk almost to the vanishing point by the final months of the war– what did that say about their belief in the Cause?
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1863
ID Number
1998.0063.0163
accession number
1998.0063
catalog number
1998.0063.0163

EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2010.0019.169
accession number
2010.0019
catalog number
2010.0019.169
serial number
0309

5 Dollars, Confederate States of America, 1861

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).
Description
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. Money connected both issues—it would celebrate the new nation and finance the war. On March 9, 1861, the CSA authorized a national currency.
Between 1861 and 1865, the new government issued Confederate currency on eight separate occasions. 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. The first official recall on February 17th, 1864, came after two years of less harsh—but unsuccessful—efforts to reduce the volume of currency in circulation.
The problem of what to do with all of the recalled money fell to the Confederate Treasury Department, which enlisted the help of banks and depositories. Historian and numismatist Douglas Ball identified three primary strategies used to cancel currency. Machine-powered circular punches were preferred by the Treasury, while banks canceled currency by striking it with bank hammers, which left two x-shaped slices on the note. Depositories also used bank hammers, but sometimes opted to cut the notes with scissors, leaving two small triangles along the bottom edge.
Once cancelled, all notes were sent to the Confederate Treasury in Richmond, Virginia, to be burned. Some notes escaped destruction. At war’s end, the Union Army confiscated the notes along with Confederate government records to investigate a possible connection between the Confederacy and President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Today, researchers examine Confederate Currency seeking clues about the economic, social, and technological underpinnings of the South during the Civil War. Smithsonian curator and historian Richard Doty has discovered physical evidence of some of the extraordinary measures people undertook to keep their money in circulation. Stitches, postage stamps, pieces of newsprint, and even fragments of love letters were used to reinforce torn notes.
The careful repair of Confederate currency was done for reasons that had nothing to do with simple economics. Money has always been seen as an emblem of sovereignty. So if people simply allowed their money to disintegrate –and some must have been tempted in that direction, as the value of their money had shrunk almost to the vanishing point by the final months of the war– what did that say about their belief in the Cause?
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1861
ID Number
1998.0063.0616
accession number
1998.0063
catalog number
1998.0063.0616

5 Cent, Postage Stamp Envelope, United States, 1862

In lieu of coined change, this card with stamps totaling five-cents was issued to customers to use at a store in Newport, Rhode Island.
Description
In lieu of coined change, this card with stamps totaling five-cents was issued to customers to use at a store in Newport, Rhode Island.
date made
1862
ID Number
NU.71.306.4
accession number
207949
catalog number
71.306.4

EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
2010.0019.175
accession number
2010.0019
catalog number
2010.0019.175
serial number
0507

5 Dollars, Confederate States of America, 1863

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
Apr. 6, 1863
date made
1863
ID Number
1998.0063.0107
serial number
33417
accession number
1998.0063
catalog number
1998.0063.0107

10 Dollars

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).
Description
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. Money connected both issues—it would celebrate the new nation and finance the war. On March 9, 1861, the CSA authorized a national currency.
Between 1861 and 1865, the new government issued Confederate currency on eight separate occasions. 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. The first official recall on February 17th, 1864, came after two years of less harsh—but unsuccessful—efforts to reduce the volume of currency in circulation.
The problem of what to do with all of the recalled money fell to the Confederate Treasury Department, which enlisted the help of banks and depositories. Historian and numismatist Douglas Ball identified three primary strategies used to cancel currency. Machine-powered circular punches were preferred by the Treasury, while banks canceled currency by striking it with bank hammers, which left two x-shaped slices on the note. Depositories also used bank hammers, but sometimes opted to cut the notes with scissors, leaving two small triangles along the bottom edge.
Once cancelled, all notes were sent to the Confederate Treasury in Richmond, Virginia, to be burned. Some notes escaped destruction. At war’s end, the Union Army confiscated the notes along with Confederate government records to investigate a possible connection between the Confederacy and President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Today, researchers examine Confederate Currency seeking clues about the economic, social, and technological underpinnings of the South during the Civil War. Smithsonian curator and historian Richard Doty has discovered physical evidence of some of the extraordinary measures people undertook to keep their money in circulation. Stitches, postage stamps, pieces of newsprint, and even fragments of love letters were used to reinforce torn notes.
The careful repair of Confederate currency was done for reasons that had nothing to do with simple economics. Money has always been seen as an emblem of sovereignty. So if people simply allowed their money to disintegrate –and some must have been tempted in that direction, as the value of their money had shrunk almost to the vanishing point by the final months of the war– what did that say about their belief in the Cause?
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1863
ID Number
1998.0063.0443
accession number
1998.0063
catalog number
1998.0063.0443

EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer)

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
2008-08
ID Number
2010.0019.129
accession number
2010.0019
catalog number
2010.0019.129

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