The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-07-19
An INTERESTING EXHIBIT
United States Treasury Collection
at the Atlanta Exposition.
Some Curious Old Bonds and Notes.
Engand's Check for Damages
Done by the A!abams. Rare
5.f Old Colonial Notes Grouped
~ in an Artistic Manner.


i've exhibits to DO furnished for that &C
casion by the United States government
The exbibit-then rather incomplete in
some of its details-attracted widespread
attention at the Columbian exposition
in Chicago
Since then many new features have
been added until now it forms the most
complete collection of all issues of
money of this government in existence.
1t Is not only valuable to those interest
ed In the financial history of this coun-
try, but it serves rs we'll to illustrate
the great and rapid advance made in
the art Of engraving. The first attempts
to engravo notes were crude and rough,
while tho later efforts arc the beautiful
works OF art with which every one is
familiar.
/ The exhibit contains specimens of
treasury issues of every form, made on
account of tho various loans, since tho
foundation of tho government, grouped
and arranged in chronological order
Added to this is full and we'll pre-
served collection Of colonial money.
which is valuable as we'll rs interesting
The government was compelled to pur-
chase this collection by piecemeal from
various persons who were holding tho
money as souvenirs, and n good price
was paid for the necessary pieces to
complete the collection One Of the fea-
lures Of the exhibit is the continental
money. All the issues of the 10 original
states are represented embracing all
dates, denominations and conditions of
payment. The exhibit includes CONT
mental money, colonial money. specimens
of the issues of the late Confederate
States, both currency and bonds United
States bonds, United States currency.
national bank notes, bills of broken
wildcat banks in nctive operation before
the civil war, and the check which Eng
land made out in favor of this country
for Expectations committed by the
steamer Alabama on the commerce of
abe United States.
The earliest issue Of bonds, then
known is loan office certificates, " MS
shown In the exhibit, was made in 1916
on account of the first loan this govern
ment negotiated with France Then fol
low IN order of date specimens of bonds
issued to replenish the treasury from
time to time during the progress of the
Revolutionary and civil wars down to
the present time. the last loan being
fhat OF 1885, rcdeemable in 1925. AS
shown by tho specimens, the earliest
coupon bonds We're issued in 1912. II
was then that this government adopted
the two forms of bonds, now SO popular.
the coupon and registered. Tho speci
mems OF the bonds, notes, fractional cur
renoy and other evidences Of debt under
All acts OF congress issued on account Of
the heavy loans entailed by the civil wor
FORM fine and historic collection Of the
reminders of those stirring times.
The loan Office certificates" nre
probably as interesting as any other fen
ture of this collection. Many have the
interest figured out on the edge of the
note, showing that the holders had puz
;7ied their heads to find ont what Uncle
sam owed them. On one of the colonial
notes, issued in 1774. arc inscribed the
words, To counterfeit is death" Some
severe penalty was necessary, for any
ordinary schoolboy with Quill pen
ponld have reproduced the note exactly.
30 crude and rough was its execution,
Among the bonds nre found great
number of District Of Columbia notes of
indebtedness, issued for all sorts of pur-
poses The bonds of the large 4 per cent
loan OF the late war times have place
an the exhibit, and they take ND Quito a
good deal OF space They are both CON
pom and registered bonds, tho highest
denomination 4 the former being ST.
600, and that of the latter being $50
900. The $50, 900 registered bond Is tho
Largest ever issued by this government.
No coupon bond is issued with n higher
denomination than 81, 900. The last
loan, that of 1905-1ep6, is a 4 Der cent
oae. and the bonds are beautiful works
OF art. They are made in the share Of a
Omitted States f1ag, with the coupons
taking the place Of the stripes, and one
OF these honda takes up the entire space
on single leaf of the exhibit.
The check which England paid to this
country on account Of the Alabama
claims is gold certificate and La made
ont in the sum of SI6, 500. 900. On the
back 1t is Endorsed by many names, the
most prominent of which are those Of
Edward Thornton, then the Engiish
minister to this country; Hamilton
Fish, secretary of state, and William A.
Richardsop. secretary of the treasury.
I The collection is mounted on two sep-
asate columns. each feet high. Thirty
two frames are swung on hinges TO these
columns, and in these frames the notes