Not until it became necessary to finance the Civil War, did the United States have what could be considered a national paper currency. Before that the only paper money was provided by state-chartered banks estimated to number about 1500 in 1862, up from about 1400 in 1856. Many of these banks did not stand on firm financial ground, nor were all their dealings on the up-and-up. In addition, although many notes were beautifully engraved, it was a time when printing techniques were easily counterfeited. Of the approximately 7,000 different bank notes circulating during the Civil War, about half were spurious. For this reason sometimes even "good" currency from one state was not accepted in another, or was discounted up to 50%. Numerous weekly publications called "bank-note detectors" listed "bad" money. Merchants could also look for bank failings reported in their local newspaper. In 1865 , Congress placed prohibitive tax on state bank notes. This lead to the development of the familiar check account business as a substitute.
This set includes:
Same day shipment, when you click ADD TO CART and complete shopping cart check out. Inspect the item, return it for same day refund if not delighted. You will be pleased with your choice. You pay postage, your only risk.
This set includes:
- Connecticut - $5, The Litchfield Bank, 1858
- Illinois - $1, Board of Public Works, Internal Improvement Office, 1840
- Maryland - $5, The Allegheny County Bank, 1860
- Massachusetts - 20 cents, Mounte Pleasant Apothecary Store, 1863, a Civil War "shinplaster" - private financial currency issued by merchants to make change in lieu of coins
- New Jersey - 10 cents, the City of Newark, 1862, municipal fractional currency issued to promote trade
- New York- $5, The Huguenot Bank of New Paltz, Ulster Co., 1861
- Ohio - $5, The Bank of Gallipolis, 1839
- Pennsylvania - $1, The Bank of Montgomery County, 1865, Montgomery county officers in Civil War Uniforms: Edwin Schall, Winfield Hancock, Adam Slemmer, and John Harntraft
- Rhode Island - The New England Commercial Bank, undated, the $3 bill was not an uncommon note in bygone days.
Same day shipment, when you click ADD TO CART and complete shopping cart check out. Inspect the item, return it for same day refund if not delighted. You will be pleased with your choice. You pay postage, your only risk.