You’ve likely heard about and perhaps even seen Confederate currency. But how much do you know about the legal tender? We spent time researching the subject, and here are five fascinating facts about this type of currency. Plus, each of the notes pictured is available through www.unitedstatespapermoney.com, an advertising partner of COINage.
Did you know: The most well known of the currency, the Confederate dollar, was issued in 1861 just ahead of the start of the U.S. Civil War.
Did you know: Confederate currency was used by the states that made up the Confederate States of America, which included South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
Did you know: Confederate currency was initially issued in 10-cent, 50-cent, $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500, and $1,000 denominations.
Did you know: Part of the reason for the wide variety of Confederate currency is because the bulk of the printing equipment and skilled printers were located in the northern states. Thus, the Confederate States of America created a myriad of notes of varying quality.
Did you know: At the beginning of the Civil War, the Confederate dollar served as a promissory note. The note would be honored up to six months after the end of the war. However, when it looked like the Confederacy may be victorious in the war, the number of notes being printed increased, and the Confederate dollar depreciated.
The next time you find yourself talking about, watching, or reading about the Civil War, we hope a couple of these facts will come to mind.
Sources: Investopedia, Wikimedia, unitedstatespapermoney.com
