Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-02-18
CONFEDERATE CASH.
UNIQUE COLLECTION OF PAPER
MONEY OWNED BY UNCLE SAM.
How the Notes Were Made-A Big
Business In CounterfeitiD x-Depre-
citation of the Notes.

|
Business In CounterfeitiD s-Depre
citation of the Notes.
Hidden away among the archives o
the Treasury Department is a curious
volume which few people have ever look
ed into. Though nothing more nor les
than scrap book, it is filled from covel
to cover with money. Altogether it hold.
not less than 100000 The content.
are real currency of Legitimate issue, and
yet the whole of them would not be
accepted to-day in payment for a bag OF
flour or box Of soap. This is because
Confederate notes and bonds, which com
pose the collection described, are worth
at present nothing more than their value
as waste paper, save in so far as certain
specimens are in demand by collectors
Nevertheless the volume is extremely in
terestlng by reason of the fact that it
represents the most complete existing
assemblage of the ''shinplastersn put in
circulation as promises to pay bv the
government of the South during the
Civil war.
Looking over the pages of the scrap
book, the various issues of currency
being arranged in chronological order.
one follows from start to finish the history
of the greatest civil conflict that the
world has ever seen. The story of a
nation is always told most Interestingly
by Its money. 'Two years after date the
confederate states promise to pay, " reads
the inscription on the earliest notes but
very soon this is replaced by more CON
sentative legend setting the date of pay
ment at ''six months after the ratification
of treaty of peace between the con-
| federate states and the United States, {"
and this latter form holds up to the end
| OF the war. The money is patterned pretty
closely after Uncle Sans, but the clear
lines OF steel engraving are fcebly i'm
itated by the processes of photolitho-
graphy. Why this method of printing
employed is quite an entertaining anec
dote in itself.
1t will be remembered, perhaps that
Charles G. Meminger of South Carolina
Cd taking office as the first secretary of
the confederate treasury made contract
with the American Bank Note COMPANY
OF New York for supply of paper notes
for $1,000, $500, 500 and $50. The
order was filled, considerable quantity
OF the currency being shipped to Rich
mond and safely delivered. The goods
being found satisfactory the bank note
company was requested to send on the
engraved plates. This was done. but the
United States government was on the
alert and succeeded in capturing the
plates on board of the vessel which was
conveying them to Richmond. A few
years later this matter was brought nm in
Congress very effectively as an argument
against employing the American Bank
Note Company to print United States
money, its action in lending such services
TO the confederate government being de-
nounced as disloyal.
Now, at the time when the war BEGAN
the American Bank Note COMPANY had
branch establishment at New Orleans i
which was conducted by man named
Schmidt. Subsequent to the event inst
described plates for 800, $50, $40 aad
80 notes were engraved there and printed
from. This did not last long, however.
Blanton Duncan, lieutenant colonel of a
kentucky regiment, started a private
establishment at Richmond for producing
paper currency by photography, obtaining
contracts to supply the confederate
treasury. Other shops were set up later
on Tor the same purpose, and the rivalry |
Tor government contracts being very
great, they all united against Schmidt
AT this period any northern man resid-
ing In the south was an object of suspic-
ION, being regarded as an enemy and |
presumably an abolitionist. Accordingly !
.he governor of Louisiana. vieldino 10 |
public sentiment, swooped down upon
the branch office of the Bank Note com
pany, and confscating all the material in
the shape of plates, tools, etc, distributed
1t among the Autograph printers.
About half a dozen of these litho-
graphic establishments at Richmond and
at Columbia, 5. c., continued to print
paper money for the confederate treasury
up to the close of the war. From the
beginning to the end of the conflict not
far from 81 500, 900, 900 in shinplasters
OF various denominations were turned
out and put into circulation. Looking
over the curious scrap book described
one notices that each note is actually
signed in pen and ink with the names of
the treasurer and register of the treasury.
the serial number being put on in like
manner This was accomplished bv en-
ploying clerks to sign for those officials.
They were arranged to work in pairs.
one signing for the register and the other
for the treasurer. The numbers were
added by third person. AT the begin
ming this labor was performed bv men
but they were in such demand for fight. {
ing purposes that women were substituted
later on. Altogether PA women and 6s
men were engaged in this task during
the war. They did the signing and num-
)cring of the notes by sheets. which
were afterwards cut up.
One complaint that was made against
schmidt was that he was horribly slow.
md this was a very serious matter where
here was an immediate necessity for al
most unlimited supplies Of negotiable
medium. The photographic establish
uents imported the paper and other I
material in immense quantities BY block. /
vie runners from England. They also ,
obtained from Great Britain their work !
men, nearly all OF whom were Scotch. q
urn Tho firm Of kentinu Il nYU al n