5 Dollars, Confederate States of America, 1863
5 Dollars, Confederate States of America, 1863
- Description
- Most Confederate notes bore a single issue date. Those created in 1863 bore two-the official date of the issue, April 6, 1863, and the actual month when the notes were placed in circulation, ranging from April 1863 to February 1864. The official date was part of the basic design. The actual date was applied in red, ordinarily towards the right-hand margin. The greater precision was probably intended to create a greater accountability as to how much currency was being issued, and when.
- But the paper used to create new currency wasn't any better than that used to create the old. And a society that roughly handled its paper money but had no more durable alternatives was likely to continue having problems holding things together. An amazing range of discarded paper objects was put into service.
- Glue was slapped onto everything from old telegrams to a playbill for a performance of the Hunchback of Notre Dame at some forgotten theater. Out-of-date letters were always popular, particularly if they had writing on both sides of the sheet. And so William Perryman's letter home was recycled by a friend, or a relative, to keep this particular Confederate five in circulation a few turns longer.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Object Name
- Paper Money
- note
- Date made
- 1863
- engraver
- Keatinge & Ball
- Place Made
- United States: Virginia, Richmond
- Physical Description
- paper (overall material)
- ink (overall material)
- Measurements
- overall: 78 mm x 175 mm; 3 1/16 in x 6 7/8 in
- ID Number
- 1998.0063.0045
- catalog number
- 1998.0063.0045
- accession number
- 1998.0063
- serial number
- 36663
- Credit Line
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (through John W. Carlin)
- See more items in
- Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
- Coins
- Numismatics
- Coins, Currency and Medals
- Legendary Coins
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
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