00 State of Georgia Coupon Bond – Criswell 61C

Description

00 State of Georgia Coupon Bond – Criswell 61C
Offered for your consideration is a 00 coupon bond issued by the state of Georgia in the first year of the Civil War. It was catalogued by the late Grover Criswell as Criswell 61C. The central vignette depicts an attractive female figure representing Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture, seated with her back against a bale of cotton. In the background, a paddlewheel steamer enters the scene from the right. Flanking this scene are two decorative medallions, the one at the left with the serial number and the one at the right with the denomination. Above the vignette, printed in large, block letters, is
“CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA”,
while below the medallions is
“State of Georgia”
. In smaller letters, above the vignette, is printed
“REDEEMEBLE AT THE STATE’S OPTION AT ANY TIME AFTER FIVE YEARS FROM DATE”
, while immediately below, in lovely italic script, is
“By authority of an Act approved 16
th
December 1861”
. A lengthy financial obligation dominates the body of the document, stating that “
The State of Georgia hereby acknowledges herself indebted to the Bearer of this Bond in the sum of ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS lawful money of the CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA which sum she promises to pay at her Treasury, on the first day of May, Eighteen hundred and eighty one, with interest at the rate of Seven per cent per annum … payable … at Savannah or Augusta …”.
It further states that
“… his Excellency Joseph E. Brown Governor of the said State has hereunto subscribed his name and caused the same to be signed by Nathan C. Barnett, Secretary of State, and stamped with the Seal of the State this first day of May Eighteen hundred and sixty two …”
. These statements are followed by the signatures of
“Joseph E. Brown”
as
“Governor of Georgia”
and
“N. C. Barnett”
as
“Secretary of State”
, as prescribed at the conclusion of the financial obligation. Six ovals flank the text, the upper two featuring portraits of a helmeted classical bust, the lower two depicting attractive young ladies in period attire. The central ovals surround vignettes of a mounted figure of George Washington and a seated figure of James E. Oglethorpe, at the left and right, respectively. A decorative border encloses all of the foregoing elements, neatly separating them from the 28 remaining interest coupons (this is less than the number of coupons which should be present based on the date of redemption, but it is possible that these may have been redeemed at the time or possibly used as currency in the hope that they would be paid). Each coupon was valued at
“THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS”
and bears the signature of
“Jno Jones”
in his capacity as
“Treasurer”
. In common with most government bonds of this era, the back was blank. The bond was printed by
“R. H. HOWELL, Lithr. Savannah Ga.”
, as evidenced by their imprint at the bottom center. The latest research book on the subject lists this bond as a Rarity-9, indicating that only 13-25 pieces are thought to exist, though whether this is entirely accurate is speculative (it does, however, give some idea of how difficult it is to locate one of these pieces). This bond would make an attractive addition to any Civil War era bond collection, or a great display framed alone or with a photograph of Governor Brown.
Joseph Emerson Brown
was born in the Pickens District of South Carolina on April 15, 1821. He moved with his family to Union County, Georgia, but returned to South Carolina to attend Calhoun Academy. He graduated from Yale Law School, returned to Georgia and commenced the practice of law. He was elected to the Georgia State Senate in 1849 and a state circuit court judge in 1855. He was elected governor of Georgia in 1857, serving in that capacity until the close of the Civil War in 1865. He was briefly imprisoned after the war. From 1865 through 1870 he served as chief justice of the Georgia supreme court, resigning in the latter year to accept the presidency of the Western and Atlantic Railroad Company. He served in the United States Senate from May 26, 1880 until March 3, 1891. Joseph E. Brown died in Atlanta, Georgia on November 30, 1894 and was buried in that city’s Oakland Cemetery.
The presently offered specimen exhibits signs of moderate period use, as well as subsequent long-term storage. Light toning across the entire surface has imparted to the paper a light tan or beige hue, with somewhat darker areas visible on the back (this would have been on the outside when the document was folded for storage). Several folds, both horizontal and vertical, are noted, a common occurrence, since many of these documents placed in safes or the cubbyholes of desks, and only brought out when an interest coupon was to be redeemed. A few foxing spots are present, well scattered throughout the design. Small tears are noted where the folds meet the edge, as are several slight holes at the junctions of the folds. The contrast is average for the issue, with all printed and manuscript elements visible. Light pencil notations can be seen when the piece is viewed from the back, one of which is the catalogue number and an earlier price (it was common practice many years ago to record this information directly on the item). As noted earlier, the coupon configuration of this bond is incorrect, though why it would have been removed for display is unknown (it has been suggested that some states continued to pay on their bond issues, since the state governments continued to function after the fall of the Confederacy). This historic piece measures approximately 13 x 14⅝ inches, and, as noted, would look great framed beside a photograph of Joe Brown.
A charge of .95 will be added to the winning bid for postage and insurance.
If you have any questions concerning this item, please ask before purchasing.
Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
American Coins and Collectibles
Shreveport, LA