Evening journal., 1912-04-25
THIS BOOK IS
MADE OF MONEY
War Time Script Worth More
Than its Face Value After
Many Years
COLLECTIONS ALSO SNOW
SOME WORTHLESS BONDS

SOME WORTHLESS BONDS
Charles A. Rudolph, Of this city
has a scrapbook that is literally made
of money, paper money worth a much
greater sum than its face value. III
this book, and in sundry envelopes,
Mr. Rudolph has several complete
sets OF the United States Fractional
Postage Currency in use during the
lime of the Civil War, collected by
his father, Charles +. Rudolph. anu
By himself This collection is now on
exhibition in the window OF the |
Charles r. Rudolph store.
The bills for the most part are
crisp and new, and came unused from
the bank. They vary in size from
] 3-S to 1 rs inches III width, and
from TO A inches in length. Thel
larger size is for the larger denom-
nations, but all the bills are smaller
than the ordinary greenback and are
for amounts less than a dollar, 3
cents, cents, 10 cents, 10 cents, 20
cents, up to so ceuts. The first IS
sue was that of July II, 1862. but
after the war they were discontinued
as soon as specie became more abund-
ant. The bills, although no longer
printed, are still legal tender Mr.
Rudolph says that to avoid sending
small coins in the mail, he has a
few times slipped I'm one of these
fractional greenbacks, in paying al
bill, but the persons they were sent
10 objected to them as invalid. As
the notes are worth a higher price
than their face value, Mr.. Rudolph
does not contemplate using them as
currency as a regular thing.
An interesting set OF bills shows
fractional currency issued by Will
mington City, signed by John NJ.
Turner president Of Council, and by
John f. Miller, treasurer.
Government currency was so scarce
at that time that cities we're com
PEELED to get out the. own. The Will
mngton bills were given out on the
steps of City Hall, and Mr.. Rudolph
remembers being taken by his father
down to City Hall at the time. People
came clear from Philadelphia, and he
remembers that one man climbed over
the heads of the other people to get
near the currency distributors.
In appearance the fractional cur
rency resembles the ordinary green
back, with its engraved design con-
tanning the portraits of officials, or of
Columbia, with official gnatures.
Some we're printed with red instead Of
green backs. and these are much more
rare and valuable now The first is
sue shows perforated paper, dividing
The bills in a sheet but afterwards
he bills we're cut apart with scissors
In the third issue. split paper began TO
BE used, as precaution against coun-
terfeting The names of Spinner and
Colby are signed TO this third issue
and the autograph signatures are
much more valuable than the bills
with facsimile printed signatures.
Mr.. Rudolph aas two complete sets
Of the fractional currency printed ON
captured Confederate paper and is
sued with the face and back of each
note printed on separate sheets of pa
ger. with the word specimen" across
back These were presented to each
member of Congress- The paper used
vas made i'm Connecticut and shipped
to Virginia. but captured by the block
aue. It was wa,ermartfd &C. S. A.
Another point for the collector TO no
tice I'm this issue is the three cent
bills with a pOrtfa of Washington
I'm some cases the clitan behind
Washington's head is dark, and these
bills are more desirable than those
IN which the curtain is light.
An inteI1iting specimen in the col
.ection shows printing from genuine
plate and from a counterfeit plat
side by side The counterfeit is les
lelicately engraved Mr. Rudolph ha
quantity OF unbrolyen sheets Of SIS
los and other denominations Of bills
The scrapbook also contains Con
federate bonds now worthless.
$50 bond is among theses In ad
iition to the paper money. Mr. Ru
lolph has an interesting and valuabi
collection of coins. One is the $50 gol
piece with the date "MCMVlI," wit
an eagle and rising sun on one side
and Liberty on the other. The edge
not milled. but bears the motto, -
Pluribus Unum" This issue was die
continued because the design was !
such deep relief that it made the col
higher i'm the center than at the edg'
Other coins i'm the collection are tw
tiny 1868 gold dollars, 1908 $40 gold
piece, thin So gOld-piece dated 1S0
made Of guinea gold and Filipin
centavos. There is gold coin minte
at the time of the Louisiana Expos
ton. and a 50 gold piece dated 1888
A small. heavy bar of solid silver
one of the famous "Pomeroy bricks
printed Pacific Railway Company
and made from ore obtained in tunne
ing for the railroad construction.
Another oddity possessed by NJ
Rudolph is common pin made
hand i'm 1857 There is quite a co
lection of old railway tickets. mar
issued by the New Castle and Frenc
town Railway Company. Some tim
the queer engines and high-wheeli
coaches Of the day are pictured on q
ticket The cars are often designate
by names, such as the Thomas Je
ferson." or ,he Three Loaves
Bread and the passenger is reduest'
TO take the seat pointed out by u
conductor There is an omnih
ticket from New Castle TO Wlmingto
A number of old campaign ticke
show that party loyalty ran high
earlier days. A white satin bad
is readed Union Ticket" followl
by the whole list of state oficia
from Governor. William Cannon
down. An amusing campaign doc
ment is ticket purporting TO be
"Grand Fusion. Excursion" of t
Breckenridge forces. during which I
Little Giant" is advertised to si
the "Salt River" as a solo. 60
Ttg~ C,t,,r a. TTrrIo,sff troT.I ~,,o IL 4