Have you ever seen a Confederate States of America bond?
The CSA desiredmoney for the war–indeed, for its very existence. Because of that, it undertook common practice governments have frequently done in the modern era: it printed bonds. These bonds constituted promises to repay, in the future and with interest, the loan that a southerner or other “investor” had made in the southern cause.
It goes without saying that the majority of Confederate bond purchasers were never repaid, and those certificates that were not destroyed or lost were stashed away in drawers and other dark places.
Today, though, those bond certificates are sought-after collector’s items. And, you can turn around and sell Confederate bonds (along with other types of paper items) on eBay for a pretty decent return.
The Confederate bonds can be enjoyed as decorative items (if framed, they should be mounted using museum type material in order to guard against mishandling; reflectionless glass is also a good idea, despite the the extra expense.
Confederate bonds were issued in a variety of dollar amounts. They further differed from one another in terms of the inscriptions and artwork they used.
At a time when ornamentation held sway, the Confederate bond certificates were vibrant examples the art of embellishment. Besides the terms of the certificate printed in cursive, they frequently contained line graphics of pastoral and city scenes along with people, both real and mythological.
Take as an example a $1000 CSA bond that I purchased at a coin show and had framed several years ago. It is lovely, bearing words printed in ornamental italic script and, in its center, a portrait of the immortal Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. You probably remember that Gen. Jackson died in the confusion of war, after being mistakenly shot by one of his own soldiers during the Battle of Chancellorsville. Being one of the South’s greatest heroes, it was predictable that his portrait should come to grace a Confederate bond.
Southerners weren’t the only purchasers of Confederate war bonds. Many persons in England, and also as other parts of Europe, did too. Could be they were folks whose sympathy in the Great Conflict rested with the South and its cause. Or quite possibly they were merely putting a bet down on on the war’s final outcome.
If your interest in Confederate bond certificates extends beyond merely holding on to and admiring their peculiar beauty and historic aura, you will find them to be a wonderful front door into what is known as “scripophily.” This is the collecting of old financial certificates, which can include bank instruments, stock certificates, railroad bonds and the like.
If you’re a history buff–or if you’re just looking for a different kind of “art” with which to cover your walls–learning about Confederate war bonds and purchasing a few select examples could transform itself into a fund and affordable pastime. Furthermore,It is also a great area to investigate if you relish the idea of making money by selling “paper”–books, magazines, antique prints and so on.
Leave it to an enterprising British woman to become the foremost expert on making money–even earning a living–selling pieces of American paper, not only old money and bonds but even pages torn out from old magazines. You can learn more about her surprising eBay paper selling method here.
