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1 Dollar, Confederate States of America, 1862

National Museum of American History
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Object Details

Confederate States of America
Description
Dated December 2, 1862, this note was almost completely worn out by the time someone got around to strengthening it with a piece of newspaper. Why would they have bothered? We know that the repair was done in 1864, because the newspaper fragment mentions Andrew Johnson, who had been chosen to be Abraham Lincoln's running mate in the upcoming Northern elections.
By 1864, a Confederate dollar bill was worth very much less than a dollar, because most people could see the bleakness of Southern prospects. But money was money, and beyond its value as a means of exchange, it represented the hopes and dreams of an aspiring nation. Apparently, this bill mattered enough for someone to go to the trouble of patching it up and sending it on its way.
But look closely: they used a Northern newspaper. If such a publication were common enough to be recycled in this way, then matters were dire indeed. Night was closing in on the Confederacy, and on its money. Both were departing the realm of real events, moving into the realm of legend.
Credit Line
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (through John W. Carlin)
1863
1862
gre 1862
ID Number
1998.0063.0047
catalog number
1998.0063.0047
accession number
1998.0063
serial number
111--3
Object Name
Paper Money
note
Physical Description
paper, pink (overall material)
ink, black (overall material)
newspaper (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 76 mm x 180 mm; 3 in x 7 1/16 in
Place Made
United States: Virginia, Richmond
See more items in
Work and Industry: National Numismatic Collection
Coins
Numismatics
Coins, Currency and Medals
Legendary Coins
National Museum of American History
Record ID
nmah_1289285
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-a8a5-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Related Content

  • National Numismatic Collection:Introduction

    American History Museum

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