Please sign up as a member or login to view and search this journal.
    
    Table of Contents
Rare Postal Note from Sitka Alaska Surfaces--Kent Halland & Charles Surasky
1862-1863 Legal Tender Classification Chart--Peter Huntoon & Doug Murray.
3rd Issue Fractional Currency Errors (Part 2)--Rick Melamed
Uncoupled—Joe Boling & Fred Schwan
Origin of the Train Vignette on T-39 Confederate Notes--Marvin Ashmore & Michael McNeil
John Benjamin Burton--Charles Derby
United Cigar Stores Company Coupons--Loren Gatch
1917 $1 Fr. 37a Error--Peter Huntoon
Small Notes—Two $5 Master Plate Proofs
Membership Map
New SPMC Exhibit Program
          Rare Postal Note from Sitka, Alaska 
Fractional Currency Errors 
Legal Tender Classification Chart 
and much more inside! 
Paper Money 
Vol. LVIII,   No. 2,   Whole No. 320     www.SPMC.org  March/April 2019 
Official Journal of the  
Society of Paper Money Collectors 
1231 E. Dyer Road, Suite 100, Santa Ana, CA 92705  •  949.253.0916
123 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019  •  212.582.2580
Info@StacksBowers.com  •  StacksBowers.com
California • New York • New Hampshire • Hong Kong • Paris
SBG PM ANA2019AucSol 190130
America’s Oldest and Most Accomplished Rare Coin Auctioneer
Peter A. Treglia  
LM #1195608
John M. Pack  
LM # 5736
Peter A. Treglia
John M. Pack
Brad Ciociola
Peter A. Treglia Aris MaragoudakisJohn M. Pack Brad CiociolaManning Garrett
LEGENDARY COLLECTIONS  |  LEGENDARY RESULTS  |  A LEGENDARY AUCTION FIRM
Now Accepting Consignments to the  
Stack’s Bowers Galleries Official Auction of the
ANA World’s Fair of Money®
Stack’s Bowers Galleries continues to realize strong prices for currency, as shown by these results from our recent 
auctions. We are currently accepting consignments to our Official Auction of the 2019 ANA World’s Fair of Money 
in Rosemont, Illinois. Whether you have an entire cabinet or just a few duplicates, the experts at Stack’s Bowers 
Galleries are just a phone call away and ready to assist you in realizing top dollar for your currency.
Contact our currency specialists  
to discuss opportunities for upcoming 
auctions. They will be happy to assist 
you every step of the way.
800.458.4646 West Coast Office
800.566.2580 East Coast Office
T-2. Confederate Currency. 
1861 $500. PMG Very Fine 30.
Realized $39,950
Fr. 2220-F. 1928 $5000 Federal Reserve Note. 
Atlanta. PCGS Very Fine 30 PPQ.
Realized $129,250
Deadwood, South Dakota. $10 1882 Brown Back. 
Fr. 487. The American NB.  
PCGS Very Fine 30 PPQ. Serial Number 1.
Realized $64,625
Fr. 202a. 1861 $50 Interest Bearing Note 
PCGS Currency Very Fine 25.
Realized $1,020,000
Fr. 346d. 1880 $1000 Silver Certificate of Deposit. 
PCGS Currency Very Fine 25.
Realized $1,020,000
Fr. 183c. 1863 $500 Legal Tender Note 
PCGS Currency Very Choice New 64 PPQ.
Realized $900,000
Fr. 187b. 18803 $1000 Legal Tender Note 
PCGS Currency Choice About New 55.
Realized $960,000
Ketchikan, Alaska. Small Size $5. Fr. 1800.  
The First NB of Ketchikan. Charter #4983.  
PMG Gem Uncirculated 65 EPQ*. 
Realized $90,000
Auction: August 13-16, 2019  |  Consign U.S. Currency by June 24, 2019
Fr. 379a. 1890 $1000  Treasury Note,  
PCGS Currency About New 50.
Realized $2,040,000
 
Terms and Conditions 
PAPER MONEY (USPS 00-3162) is published every 
other month beginning in January by the Society of 
Paper Money Collectors (SPMC), 711 Signal Mt. Rd 
#197, Chattanooga, TN 37405. Periodical postage is 
paid at Hanover, PA. Postmaster send address 
changes to Secretary Jeff Brueggeman, 711 Signal 
Mtn. Rd, #197, Chattanooga,TN 37405. 
©Society of Paper Money Collectors, Inc. 2014. All 
rights reserved. Reproduction of any article in whole or 
part withoutwrittenapproval is prohibited. 
Individual copies of this issue of PAPER MONEY are 
available from the secretary for $8 postpaid. Send 
changes of address, inquiries concerning non - delivery 
and requests for additional copies of this issue to the 
secretary. 
PAPER MONEY 
Official	Bimonthly	Publication	of	
The Society of  Paper Money Collectors, Inc. 
Vol.	LVIII,	No.	2	 					Whole	No.	320	 March/April	2019	
ISSN 0031-1162 
MANUSCRIPTS 
Manuscripts not under consideration elsewhere and 
publications for review should be sent to the Editor. 
Accepted manuscripts will be published as soon as 
possible, however publication in a specific issue 
cannot be guaranteed. Include an SASE if 
acknowledgement is  desired. Opinions expressed by 
authors do not necessarily reflect those of the SPMC. 
Manuscripts should be submitted in WORD format via 
email (smcbb@sbcglobal.net) or by sending memory 
stick/disk to the editor. Scans should be grayscale or 
color JPEGs at 300 dpi. Color illustrations may be 
changed to grayscale at the discretion of the editor. 
Do not send items of value. Manuscripts are 
submitted with copyright release of the author to the 
Editor for duplication and printing as needed. 
ADVERTISING 
Alladvertising onspaceavailable basis. 
Copy/correspondence shouldbesent toeditor. 
Alladvertisingis payablein advance. 
Allads are acceptedon a “good faith”basis. 
Terms are“Until Forbid.” 
Adsare Run of Press (ROP) unlessaccepted on 
a premium contract basis. 
Limited premium space/rates available. 
To keep rates to a minimum, all advertising must be 
prepaid according to the schedule below. In 
exceptional cases where special artwork, or additional 
production is required, the advertiser will be notified 
and billed accordingly. Rates are not commissionable; 
proofs are not supplied. SPMC does not endorse any 
company, dealer or auction house. 
Advertising Deadline: Subject to space  availability, 
copy must be received by the editor no later than the 
first day of the month preceding the cover date of the 
issue (i.e. Feb. 1 for the March/April issue). Camera 
ready art or electronic ads in pdf format are required. 
ADVERTISING RATES 
Space 1 Time 3 Times 6 Times 
Fullcolor covers $1500 $2600 $4900 
B&W covers 500 1400 2500 
Fullpagecolor 500 1500 3000 
FullpageB&W 360 1000 1800 
Halfpage B&W 180 500 900 
Quarterpage B&W 90 250 450 
EighthpageB&W 45 125 225 
Required file submission format is composite PDF 
v1.3 (Acrobat 4.0 compatible). If possible, submitted 
files should conform to ISO 15930-1: 2001 PDF/X-1a 
file format standard. Non-standard, application, or 
native file  formats are not acceptable. Page size: 
must conform to specified publication trim size. Page 
bleed: must extend  minimum 1/8”  beyond trim for 
page head, foot, front. Safety margin: type and other 
non-bleed content must clear trim by minimum 1/2” 
Advertising copy shall be restricted to paper currency, 
allied numismatic material, publications and related 
accessories. The SPMC does not guarantee 
advertisements, but accepts copy in good faith, 
reserving the right to reject objectionable or 
inappropriate materialoreditcopy. 
The SPMC assumes no financial responsibility for 
typographical errors in ads, but agrees to reprint that 
portion of an ad in which a typographical error occurs 
upon prompt notification. 
Benny Bolin, Editor 
Editor Email—smcbb@sbcglobal.net 
Visit the SPMC website—www.SPMC.org 
Rare Postal Note from Sitka Alaska Surfaces 
Kent Halland & Charles Surasky .................................. 76 
1862-1863 Legal Tender Classification Chart 
Peter Huntoon & Doug Murray. .................................... 85 
3rd Issue Fractional Currency Errors (Part 2) 
Rick Melamed ...............................................................  92 
Uncoupled—Joe Boling & Fred Schwan ................................. 106 
Origin of the Train Vignette on T-39 Confederate Notes 
Marvin Ashmore & Michael McNeil ............................. 116 
John Benjamin Burton 
Charles Derby ............................................................. 119 
United Cigar Stores Company Coupons 
Loren Gatch ................................................................ 129 
1917 $1 Fr. 37a Error 
 Peter Huntoon ............................................................. 134 
Small Notes—Two $5 Master Plate Proofs .......................... 136 
Chump Change .................................................................... 139 
Quartermaster Column ....................................................... 140 
Obsolete Corner ................................................................... 142 
President’s  Message ........................................................... 144 
New Members ....................................................................... 145 
Editor Sez ............................................................................. 146 
Membership Map ................................................................. 147 
New SPMC Exhibit Program ............................................... 148 
Money Mart .............................................................................. 151 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
73
Society	of	Paper	Money	Collectors	
Officers and Appointees 
ELECTED OFFICERS: 
PRESIDENT--Shawn Hewitt, P.O. Box 580731, 
Minneapolis, MN 55458-0731 
VICE-PRESIDENT--Robert Vandevender II, P.O. Box 2233, 
Palm City, FL 34991 
SECRETARY--Jeff Brueggeman, 711 Signal Mtn., Rd. #197, 
Chattanooga, TN 37405 
TREASURER --Bob Moon, 104 Chipping Court, 
Greenwood, SC 29649 
BOARD OF GOVERNORS: 
Mark Anderson, 115 Congress St., Brooklyn, NY 11201 
Robert Calderman, Box 7055 Gainesville, GA 30504 
Gary J. Dobbins, 10308 Vistadale Dr., Dallas, TX 75238  
Pierre Fricke, Box 90538, Alamo Heights, TX 78209 
Loren Gatch 2701 Walnut St., Norman, OK 73072 
Joshua T. Herbstman, Box 351759, Palm Coast, FL 32135 
Steve Jennings, 214 W. Main, Freeport, IL 61023 
J. Fred Maples, 7517 Oyster Bay Way, Montgomery Village, 
 MD  20886 
Michael B. Scacci, 216-10th Ave., Fort Dodge, IA 50501-2425 
Wendell A. Wolka, P.O. Box 5439, Sun City Ctr., FL  33571  
APPOINTEES: 
PUBLISHER-EDITOR--Benny Bolin, 5510 Springhill Estates Dr. 
   Allen, TX 75002 
EDITOR  EMERITUS--Fred Reed, III 
ADVERTISING MANAGER--Wendell A. Wolka, Box 5439 
Sun City Center, FL  33571 
LEGAL COUNSEL--Robert J. Galiette, 3 Teal Ln., Essex, CT 06426 
LIBRARIAN--Jeff Brueggeman, 711 Signal Mountain Rd. # 197, 
Chattanooga, TN 37405 
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR--Frank Clark, P.O. Box 117060, 
Carrollton, TX,  75011-7060 
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT--Pierre Fricke 
WISMER BOOK PROJECT COORDINATOR--Pierre Fricke, 
Box 1094, Sudbury, MA 01776 
The Society of Paper Money Collectors was organized in 1961 and
incorporated in 1964 as a non-profit organization under
the laws of the District of Columbia.   It is affiliated
with the ANA. The Annual Meeting of the SPMC i s
held in June at the
International Paper Money Show.
Information about the SPMC,
including the by-laws and
activities can be found at our website, www.spmc.org. .The SPMC 
does not does not endorse any dealer, company or auction house. 
MEMBERSHIP—REGULAR and LIFE. Applicants must be at
least 18 years of age and of good moral character. Members of the
ANA or other recognized numismatic societies are eligible for
membership. Other applicants should be sponsored by an SPMC
member or provide suitable references. 
MEMBERSHIP—JUNIOR. Applicants for Junior membership must
be from 12 to 17 years of age and of good moral character. Their
application must be signed by a parent or guardian. 
Junior membership numbers will be preceded by the letter “j” which
will be removed upon notification to the secretary that the member
has reached 18 years of age. Junior members are not eligible to hold
office or vote. 
DUES—Annual dues are $39. Dues for members in Canada and
Mexico are $45. Dues for members in all other countries are $60.
Life membership—payable in installments within one year is $800
for U.S.; $900 for Canada and Mexico and $1000 for all other
countries. The Society no longer issues annual membership cards,
but paid up members may request one from the membership director
with an SASE. 
Memberships for all members who joined the Society prior
to January 2010 are on a calendar year basis with renewals due each
December. Memberships for those who joined since January 2010
are on an annual basis beginning and ending the month joined. All
renewals are due before the expiration date which can be found on the
label of Paper Money.  Renewals may be done via the Society website
www.spmc.org or by check/money order sent to the secretary. 
      
 
Pierre Fricke—Buying and Selling! 
1861‐1869 Large Type, Confederate and Obsolete Money! 
P.O. Box 90538, Alamo Heights, TX 78209 ; pierrefricke@buyvintagemoney.com; www.buyvintagemoney.com 
 And many more CSA, Union and Obsolete Bank Notes for sale ranging from $10 to five figures 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
74
Contact JimG@Kagins.com or call 888.8Kagins to speak directly to Donald Kagin, Ph.D. who will arrange 
to visit you and appraise your collecti on free and without obligati on.
To reserve your catalog for Kagin’s March 2019 National Money Show auction 
contact us at : kagins.com, by phone:  888-852-4467 or e-mail: info@kagins.com.
Register to Bid and Reserve Your Catalog for Kagin’s 
O  cial Auction of the ANA National Money ShowTM
March 28-30, 2019
David L. Lawrence Convention Ctr, Pittsburgh, PA
National Bank Note Collection
The Joel Anderson Collection of the #1 Registry Set 
of Treasury Notes of the War of 1812:
The First circulating U.S. Bank Note
Encased Postage Stamps
Additional consigned material includes:
– Colonial, U.S. coins and patterns
– Pioneer gold coins and patterns
– U.S. tokens and medals
– U.S. Colonial and Federal Currency
–  Additional Asian, Mexican, German
and World paper currency
–  Check out new Colonial and complete
Barber proof collection for sale now!
Mexican Bank Note Collection
The Carlson Chambliss 
Collection:
Fractional Currency 
Collection
New Zealand Currency 
Collection Israeli Currency Collection
1869 $50 “rainbow” note
Currency Errors
Kagins-PM-NMS-Bid-Ad-02-13-19.indd   1 2/13/19   11:50 AM
An Extremely Rare Alaska Postal Note 
Surfaces After 124 Years 
by Kent Halland & Charles Surasky 
When the words “Alaska” and “New 
Discovery” are mentioned in a room full of currency 
collectors, the room grows silent, ears perk up, and 
all attention focuses on the person who spoke those 
words. Why? In the numismatic specialty of paper 
money collecting, 19th century notes from Alaska 
are extremely rare and actively sought by collectors. 
In the realm of Postal Note collecting, Alaska 
notes are all but impossible to acquire. That is true 
because there are just three known examples, all of 
which reside in private hands, and none have 
appeared in public for well over a decade. It is an 
understatement to say we (the authors) were excited 
to learn of the existence of a previously unreported 
Postal Note from Alaska! 
After an up-close inspection, we can now 
confirm that an extremely rare and desirable U.S. 
Postal Note, only the fourth Alaska note known to 
21st century collectors, has surfaced. Figure 1 is a 
cropped image of that note. 
The note, bearing 
serial number 854 and 
catalogued as a “Rare 
1894 Sitka, Alaska 
Territory Postal Note in 
superb condition” was 
sold at auction in the 
town of Brodheadsville 
(pop. 1,800) in Monroe 
County, Pennsylvania in 
April, 2018. It was 
purchased by an astute 
currency dealer who 
immediately sold it by 
private treaty to a Postal 
Note specialist for an 
undisclosed price. 
A Bit of Alaska History  
Alaska wasn’t a State on September 3, 1883, the 
day Postal Notes were first issued in the contiguous 
States and Territories. It became our 49th State 
nearly 76 years later – in early 1959. Here’s a brief 
overview of Alaska’s and Sitka’s history: 
Russia colonized what we know as southeastern 
Alaska in the early 1700’s after fur traders returned 
from the area with valuable sea otter pelts. This 
region was known as Russian America from about 
1808 until 1867. 
The United States, under the direction of 
Secretary of State William Seward, purchased 
Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million (“in coin” 
according to the handwritten receipt that now 
accompanies the Treasury Warrant in the National 
Archives). His critics derided the 1867 purchase, 
calling it “Seward’s Folly,” but we now know his 
decision proved fortuitous for our nation. 
How Our Government Paid for Alaska 
The Treasury Warrant shown below for $7.2 
million was issued for the purchase of Alaska from 
Russia. It is signed twice by Francis E. Spinner, 
Treasurer of the United States from 1861 to 1875 
-- during the terms of Presidents Lincoln, Johnson 
and Grant. Spinner is credited with the creation of 
U.S. Postal and Fractional Currency during the 
Civil War – the immediate ancestors of Postal 
Notes. The warrant was printed for the 
government by the American Bank Note 
Figure 1: A close-up showing Office of Issue and Serial
Number of this rare Postal Note. 
Figure 2: The United States Treasury Warrant issued to pay Russia for Alaska. 
Image Courtesy of the National Archives: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/301667 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
76
Company. Incidentally, ABNCo was awarded the 
second four-year contract to engrave and print 
Postal Notes in 1887. 
Sitka, located on Alaska’s temperate southern 
coast, some 850 miles north of Seattle, served as the 
U.S. government capitol of the Department of 
Alaska from its acquisition in 1867 to 1884. 
Likewise, it was the seat of government for the 
District of Alaska from 1884 to 1906, when Juneau 
became the capitol. 
Actually, there were two Russian settlements 
formally known as Sitka. The first site was settled in 
about 1799 and named Redoubt St. Archangel 
Michael. This site is now in the Old Sitka State 
Historical Park, located about seven miles north of 
the city now known as Sitka. 
Present-day Sitka’s first name, in Russian, was 
Novo-Arkhangelsk. It was established in 1804 by 
Alexander Baranov about two years after the Tlingit 
destroyed the original settlement. Later re-named 
New Archangel and finally Sitka, it served as the 
capital of Russian America from 1808 until 1867. 
Following the discovery of gold in 1883 and the 
subsequent gold rush at the end of the 19th century, 
Alaska’s population soared from roughly 33,400 to 
63,500. Alaska was officially incorporated as a 
Territory in 1912. It became the 49th State on 
January 3, 1959. 
Thus the region once referred to as Russian 
America, and now known as Alaska, has been 
officially recognized as a Department, a District, a 
Territory, and a State since its purchase from Russia. 
About U.S. Postal Notes 
U.S. Postal Notes, a special kind of domestic 
money order, were issued from September 3, 1883 to 
June 30, 1894. The series was produced on two 
Crane & Company watermarked banknote papers, by 
three private firms, in a variety of designs. Official 
government records indicate 70.8 million Postal 
Notes were issued to the public. The vast majority 
were issued, delivered, cashed, accounted for and 
destroyed – as Congress had authorized. Of the 
approximately 2,000 surviving examples, the most 
frequently seen face values are one or two cents, 
suggesting they were purchased and preserved as 
collector’s items or souvenirs. 
Government records show 3,046 Postal Notes 
were issued by just four postal money order offices 
in Alaska from late 1889 through June of 1894. 
Given the dates of issue, those Postal Notes were 
issued when the region was known as the District of 
Alaska. To give an idea of rarity, the Postal Notes 
issued in Alaska represent a mere 0.0043% 
(3,046/70,824,173) of all Postal Notes issued in the 
United States in the 19th century. 
Sitka Postal Note #854 
The immense rarity of Alaska Postal Notes has 
prevented an in-person study of any examples by the 
authors -- until now (fall of 2018). Before showing 
images of the note in its entirety, we wish to discuss 
our observations to explain why this is truly an 
extraordinary Postal Note—one that has been 
unknown to collectors for 124 years. 
As we examined this note, our eyes were drawn 
to several interesting aspects: 
1. Unlike most surviving Postal Notes, Sitka #854
has a face value of five cents, suggesting it may
have been acquired to be used as Congress
intended: to purchase something, re-pay a debt
or transmit funds to a distant location.
Observe too, that the note is not signed by a 
redeemer above the engraving company’s name;    
Figure 3: Image of Sitka, Alaska circa 1890’s on a postcard. 
Photo courtesy of the owner of the postcard. 
Figure 4: Hand-written denomination of five cents. 
Figure 5: Remitter’s signature is missing.
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
77
the “star” below the fee shield is not punched 
(Figure 6, below), and there is no paying office 
date stamp on the reverse (Figure 7, also below) 
– conclusive evidence that this note was never
cashed. These observations lead us to believe the 
note was purchased as a souvenir, despite its 
atypically high face value, or was set aside and 
never used as intended. 
Notice also, the dimes column (Figure 6) 
was not punched in the “0” location. This 
oversight was a common problem with Postal 
Notes and one which allowed the nefarious 
“raising” of the value of notes not punched 
correctly. 
Whatever this note’s intended purpose, it 
was well cared for and is truly in superb 
condition for a piece of paper “currency” that is 
over 120 years old.  How it found its way to rural 
Pennsylvania is a mystery unlikely to be solved. 
2. Sitka Postal Note #854 was produced by Dunlap
& Clarke, the Philadelphia-based printer that
won the final four-year Postal Note supply
contract (which commenced on August 15,
1891). The firm’s name appears at six o’clock on
the face of the note (Figure 8), making this a
Type V note.
Figure 8: Engraved name of printer. 
Please continue reading. This will prove to be no 
ordinary Type V note. 
3. Of special interest is the postmaster signature on
the front of the note (Figure 9.)  It reads “Paulina
Cohen.” She was the town’s postmistress from
August 22, 1890 until she resigned in 1900 -- to 
manage the Baranof Hotel. She holds the 
distinction of issuing the first Money Order at 
the Sitka Post Office in 1892. In all likelihood, 
she issued Sitka’s first Postal Note too. 
Only a small percentage of the 
approximately 2,000 surviving Postal Notes 
exhibit the signature of a Postmistress, making 
this a desirable example in that regard.  
Miss Cohen was the daughter of Abraham 
Cohen, one of Sitka’s best known residents, 
likely because he had opened the Sitka Brewery 
in 1868. 
Following Miss Cohen’s postmistress 
appointment, she moved the post office to a log 
building on the corner of American and Lincoln 
Streets in Sitka. She ensured the post office 
operated regular hours on Wednesdays to sell 
Figure 6: The Cancelling Star is not punched and the 
dimes column is not punched. 
Figure 7: Cancellation stamp 
of paying office.
Figure 9: Signature of Postmistress Paulina Cohen 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
78
postage stamps and conduct the registry 
business.  
On April 4, 1892 her post office was 
designated as a Money Order Office and Paulina 
began selling Money Orders and Postal Notes 
daily between 2 and 3 p.m., except Sundays 
when the Post Office was closed. She later 
expanded the operating hours of the office. 
This  Sitka Post Office, (Figure 11) may 
have been the location where the Sitka #854 
Postal Note originated, but that is pure 
conjecture.            
4. If you are not familiar with Alaska history,
please re-read the earlier paragraphs mentioning
Alaska’s official designations, then look
carefully at the wording in the issuing office’s
circular date stamp on the back of the note
(Figure 12.) For
a reason that
defies fact, it
identifies Alaska
as a “Territory”
(abbreviated
“TER.”). We
know Alaska
was a U.S.
District when
this note was
issued, so the 
postmaster’s 
date stamp is
factually wrong. That makes it extra-interesting
and worthy of further investigation. Why was the
term “Territory” used rather than “District”?
5. The issue date (see Figures 1 and 12) of Sitka
Postal Note #854 is January 27, 1894 (a 
Saturday), making this the earliest issue date 
known for any surviving Postal Note from 
Alaska. 
6. Now for something special for all Postal Note
enthusiasts.
Postal Note experts have recognized a 
“new” variety of the Type V notes since it was 
first reported by Robert Laub in 2010.  
Look at the three images on the next page.  
Figure 13 is from a Type IV reverse engraved 
and printed by the American Bank Note 
Company (ABNCo) during the second Postal 
Note contract (1887-1891.)  
Figure 14 is the standard Type V reverse, 
believed to have been created from ABNCo 
plates modified by Dunlap & Clarke (D&C) by 
removing the words “American Bank Note 
Company, New York”, but leaving the 
scrollwork intact.  
Notes issued as early as January 1894 began 
appearing with a new variety of reverse--one in 
which the residual scrollwork had been 
completely removed. The authors have 
designated this new reverse as a Type V.01. The 
Sitka #854 Postal Note, part of which is shown 
in Figure 15, is missing the scrollwork and 
therefore designated as the Type V.01 reverse 
variety. (The Postal Note identification system 
in use since the 1970s will be updated and 
expanded in our upcoming book.) 
Figure 10: Photograph by Reuben Albertstone showing 
Paulina Cohen (standing) and her sister Augusta Cohen, 
ages 25 and 16 respectively. Image PH271 coutesy of the 
Sitka Historical Society & Museum.  
Figure 11: Post Office at Sitka. Photo courtesy of the 
Alaska State Library, Frank LaRoche Photographs 
Collection, ASL-P130-031. 
Figure 12: Issuing Office Date
Stamp
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
79
Figure 13: Type IV Reverse 
(has scrollwork and company information.) 
Figure 14: Type V Reverse 
(has scrollwork, but no company 
information.) 
Figure 15: Type V.01 Reverse 
(has NO scrollwork or company 
information.) 
7. Here are the full images of this Postal Note.
Figure 16: Obverse of Sitka,
Alaska Postal Note #854, issued
January 27, 1894. 
Image courtesy of the owner. 
Figure 17: Reverse of Sitka, 
Alaska Postal Note #854, issued 
January 27, 1894. 
Image courtesy of the owner. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
80
Alaska Postal Notes in Collectors’ Hands 
With the appearance of Sitka #854, a total of 
four Postal Notes from Alaska have been identified 
by modern collectors and researchers. Astoundingly, 
not one example is from either of modern Alaska’s 
two most populous cities: Anchorage and Fairbanks. 
This is because neither of those cities existed during 
the 1883-1894 Postal Note era. 
The surviving notes are from three of the four 
Alaska Post Offices designated as Money Order 
Offices qualified to issue Postal Notes from late 1889 
to June 30, 1894. The previously reported Alaska 
Postal Notes were all identified as being the Type V 
design in the late Jim Noll’s 2004 census entitled 
“Index of U.S. Postal Notes in Collectors Hands”. 
Because Noll did not list the new variety in his 
census, it is possible that any one, two or all three 
could be the Type V.01 variety. 
As of this writing, the known Alaska notes are 
as follows: 
1. Douglas, AK # 819, issued May 18, 1894 in
the amount of two cents.  
2. Kodiak, AK # 67, issued June 11, 1894 in
the amount of two cents.  
3. Sitka, AK # 854, issued January 27, 1894
in the amount of five cents.  
4. Sitka, AK # 1051, issued June 18, 1894 in
the amount of two cents 
Also noticeably absent from the list of 
surviving Alaska Postal Notes: an example from 
Juneau. Yes, the town destined to become the 
Capital of Alaska has no surviving Postal Notes 
reported.  
It is important to pause here and to make an 
important fact known to all readers: government 
records frequently conflict. Regarding Alaska, one 
source says two Money Order Offices were in 
operation in October of 1889 while another source 
does not list any Money Order Offices until 1890. 
Until this conflict is resolved, we have chosen to list 
the following months we believe each the four 
Alaska post offices were designated “Money Order 
Offices:” Douglas in October of 1889, Juneau in 
October of 1889, Sitka in April of 1892 and Kodiak 
in July of 1893. 
Based on their earliest possible dates of 
operation, we know the four offices did not issue any 
Postal Notes between 1883 and 1888, so there were 
zero Alaska Postal Notes issued on any of Homer 
Lee Bank Note Company’s designs. Repeat, zero. 
It’s not even a remote possibility. We are sure some 
collectors will be saddened by this revelation 
because it decreases the number of Postal Note types 
available from Alaska. 
We also know Dunlap & Clarke did not begin 
producing the Type V design until their contract 
commenced on August 15, 1891. Thus, there is the 
possibility that one or both of the American Bank 
Note Company (ABNCo) Type IV (with engraved 
date 188__) or Type IV-A (with engraved date 
189__) designs were issued in Alaska by two of the 
authorized offices that began operation in 1889.   
So, until researchers can confirm the date that 
each of the Alaska Post Offices was designated as a 
Money Order Office and was supplied with Postal 
Notes for issuance, we cannot be sure if any of those 
offices first issued Postal Notes in 1889 or 1890. 
Further research will determine if one, or both 
ABNCo designs were issued in Alaska. None have 
been reported to date. 
Those ABNCo notes, if any exist, will be 
extremely scarce because only two offices could 
have issued the ABNCo design. Those offices were 
Douglas and Juneau, Alaska.  
With none reported, can we determine how 
many Postal Notes the Juneau office could have 
issued? 
The serial numbers of the known notes indicate 
the minimum quantity of Postal Notes issued by 
three of the four Alaska offices. We can draw on this 
information to determine the quantity likely issued 
by the Juneau post office. 
 The government data (see Table 1) shows there 
were only 3,046 Postal Notes with face  
values totaling $5,768.68 issued throughout the 
entire expanse of the District of Alaska by the four 
issuing post offices.  
By adding the highest known serial numbers of 
reported notes (using the highest serial, #1051 from 
Sitka), we know there were at least 819 + 67 +1051 
Table 1 
Alaska Postal Notes Issued 
Fiscal Year 
Ending on 
June 30 of 
Quantity 
Issued 
Total Value  
Issued 
Average 
Note 
1890 158  $     270.48  $     1.71 
1891 376  $     720.94  $     1.92 
1892 453  $     836.77  $     1.85 
1893 906  $  1,796.47  $     1.98 
1894 1,153  $  2,144.02  $     1.86 
TOTAL 3,046  $  5,768.68  $     1.89 
This Alaska Postal Note issuance data was obtained from the 
Annual Reports of the Postmaster-General of the United States 
for fiscal years ending June 30, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, and 1894. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
81
= 1,937 Postal Notes issued by those three offices, 
leaving a maximum of  1,109 notes that could have 
been issued in Juneau. This quantity is probably too 
high because we have not accounted for quantities 
issued by the other three offices between the date of 
their reported notes and June 30, 1894—the last day 
of issue for all Postal Notes.  
In all likelihood, the Juneau Money Order 
Office issued fewer than 1,100 notes, perhaps far 
fewer. Why? We know the booklets originally 
containing the other three offices’ notes were likely 
delivered to each office in increments of 100 notes. 
Rounding up each of the previously mentioned 
quantities to the next multiple of 100 results in 900 + 
100 + 1,100 = 2,100 notes that were sent to the other 
three offices in bound booklets.  
Assuming the other three offices issued every 
note in their respective booklets by June 30, 1894, 
we can calculate the minimum number of postal 
notes that Juneau could have issued by subtracting 
2,100 from 3,046 to arrive at 946 as the likely 
minimum number of notes Juneau issued. Given the 
number of Postal Notes issued in the other authorized 
offices throughout the District, we can estimate with 
some confidence that the Juneau office issued 
between 946 and 1,109 Postal Notes. 
If a note from Sitka can surface after 124 years, 
then perhaps one day soon collectors will rejoice 
when a new discovery note from Juneau surfaces. 
So start searching!  The lucky finder will hold a 
very collectable Juneau, Alaska Postal Note worth 
thousands of dollars. Perhaps it will even be an 
elusive ABNCo issue! 
If you find one, please don’t keep it a secret! Let 
us know of your discovery! 
About the Authors: 
Kent Halland has been researching United 
States Postal Notes and Money Orders for nearly a 
decade with an emphasis on United States Post 
Offices, Stations, and Sub-stations that issued those 
monetary instruments in the 19th century. Kent is a 
life member of the SPMC. 
Charles Surasky has collected and written about 
U.S. Postal Notes for five decades. He has had more 
than one million words published.  
The authors are finishing a Postal Notes book 
that will include previously unknown facts and data 
(such as the August 15, 1891 contract date 
mentioned in the article), plus the latest census of all 
known notes. If you would like to receive a first 
edition, send your name and email address to: 
proeds@sbcglobal.net.  
References and Additional Reading 
 “A Forgotten Chapter: The United States Postal Note”, Nick 
Bruyer, Paper Money, Whole Number 48-51. 
“A 131-Year Old Mystery Solved,” Kent Halland and Charles 
Surasky, Paper Money, November/December 2016. 
The Comprehensive Catalog of U.S. Paper Money, Fifth 
Edition, Gene Hessler, pages 387-389. 
“The U.S. Postal Notes of 1883-1894: The Three Key Pieces 
of Federal Legislation”, compiled and edited by 
Charles Surasky, 2011. (Includes a lengthy list of 
reference sources). 
“Index of U.S. Postal Notes in Collectors Hands” compiled in 
2004 by James E. Noll. 
States Admitted to the Union: 1883 to 1959 
State      Date 
Number State    Admitted 
39 North Dakota November 2, 1889 
40 South Dakota November 2, 1889 
41 Montana November 8, 1889 
42 Washington November 11, 1889 
43  Idaho July 3, 1890 
44 Wyoming July 10, 1890 
45  Utah January 4, 1896 
46 Oklahoma November 16, 1907 
47 New Mexico January 6, 1912 
48 Arizona February 14, 1912 
49  Alaska January 3, 1959 
50  Hawaii August 21, 1959 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
82
PMGnotes.com  |  877-PMG-5570 United States  |  Switzerland  |  Germany  |  Hong Kong  |  China  |  South Korea  |  Singapore  |  Taiwan  |  Japan
THE CHOICE IS CLEAR
Introducing the New PMG Holder
PMG’s new holder provides museum-quality display, crystal-clear optics  
and long-term preservation. Enhance the eye appeal of your notes  
with the superior clarity of the PMG holder, and enjoy peace of mind  
knowing that your priceless rarities have the best protection. 
Learn more at PMGnotes.com
16-CCGPA-2889_PMG_Ad_NewHolder_PaperMoney_JulyAug2016.indd   1 5/27/16   8:12 AM
Lyn Knight Currency Auct ions
If you are buying notes...
You’ll find a spectacular selection of rare and unusual currency offered for
sale in each and every auction presented by Lyn Knight Currency
Auctions. Our auctions are conducted throughout the year on a quarterly
basis and each auction is supported by a beautiful “grand format” catalog,
featuring lavish descriptions and high quality photography of the lots.
Annual Catalog Subscription (4 catalogs) $50
Call today to order your subscription!
800-243-5211
If you are selling notes...
Lyn Knight Currency Auctions has handled virtually every great United
States currency rarity. We can sell all of your notes! Colonial Currency...
Obsolete Currency... Fractional Currency... Encased Postage... Confederate
Currency... United States Large and Small Size Currency... National Bank
Notes... Error Notes... Military Payment Certificates (MPC)... as well as
Canadian Bank Notes and scarce Foreign Bank Notes. We offer:
Great Commission Rates
Cash Advances
Expert Cataloging
Beautiful Catalogs
Call or send your notes today!
If your collection warrants, we will be happy to travel to your
location and review your notes.
800-243-5211
Mail notes to:
Lyn Knight Currency Auctions
P.O. Box 7364, Overland Park, KS 66207-0364
We strongly recommend that you send your material via USPS Registered Mail insured for its
full value. Prior to mailing material, please make a complete listing, including photocopies of
the note(s), for your records. We will acknowledge receipt of your material upon its arrival.
If you have a question about currency, call Lyn Knight.
He looks forward to assisting you.
800-243-5211 - 913-338-3779 - Fax 913-338-4754
Email: lyn@lynknight.com - support@lynknight.c om
Whether you’re buying or selling, visit our website: www.lynknight.com
Fr. 379a $1,000 1890 T.N. 
Grand Watermelon
Sold for 
$1,092,500
Fr. 183c $500 1863 L.T.
Sold for 
$621,000
Fr. 328 $50 1880 S.C.
Sold for 
$287,500
Lyn Knight
Currency Auctions
Deal with the
Leading Auction
Company in United
States Currency
1862-1863 Legal Tender 
Classification Chart 
Purpose 
Our purpose is to provide a comprehensive and straight forward classification guide that will allow 
you to unambiguously assign a Friedberg catalog number to 1862 and 1863 legal tender notes. We are using 
Friedberg catalog numbers because this is the most widely used system of numbers within our hobby. Once 
you assign the right number to your note, we all will be talking the same language with respect to it.  
No United States type notes have caused more confusion than the 1862-1863 legal tender issues. 
The problem is that there are so many arcane variables on these notes that it is easy to misclassify them. 
Consequently, they are the most erroneously attributed notes in auction catalogs, grading company holders 
and censes. 
The process is to match all the diagnostics on your note with the appropriate entry in the 
accompanying table. Then read the Friedberg number from either the first or last column. 
Notice that the Friedberg numbers are out of order for the various denominations. We have 
attempted to put the entries into the approximate chronological order in which they were made. We say 
approximate because more than one variety was being printed at the same time during some periods. Also, 
some varieties reappeared after not having been used for a while. 
The Friedberg numbering system is imperfect, but that is not our problem. Very little was known 
about these notes when Friedberg first assigned numbers to them. The way his numbering system was set 
up, all he could do was assign a number to each of the known varieties by series and denomination in the 
order in which he thought they were produced. He then moved on to the next series and continued 
numbering. As new varieties were discovered, he had no option but to sandwich the new entries into his 
listing by assigning suffix letters to them in succeeding editions. However, the letters were assigned in the 
order in which the discoveries were made, which had nothing to do with the order in which the varieties 
were produced. 
Some of the varieties that have been assigned Friedberg numbers are not varieties at all, but 
misprints. The best example is $2 1862 Fr.41d where the Treasury seal was inverted for at least one printing. 
This is a misprinted Fr.41c. Another is $20 1863 Fr.126c where the left serial number was misplaced for 
an entire printing making the notes different from Fr.126b. Doug found a letter in his research where the 
printer was requested to be careful not to make that mistake again. It certainly created a variety and they 
made plenty of them so call it what you like, a legitimate variety or a misprint!  
Of course, this type of numbering system leads to chaos, and that is exactly what happened. That 
chaos contributes to the difficulty people have when they attempt to classify these notes. At this point, we 
simply have to acknowledge that the Friedberg numbers are an arbitrary means to allow us to communicate. 
End of story, for better or worse.  
Doug Murray, who seriously researched these notes for decades, unraveled the chronology of these 
issues and determined the actual or approximate numbers of each variety that were printed. He even 
deduced that certain listed varieties never were printed. Examples being Fr. 149 and 166, respectively a $50 
and $100. 
We have provided census data only for the flaming rarities; that is, the varieties for which fewer 
than 10 are reported. 
There is a possibility that you may discover an unreported variety. If you think you have one, send 
a 300-dpi color scan of it to peterhuntoon@outlook.com. If indeed it is new, you will win for yourself a 
new listing and the resulting publicity that goes with such a discovery. These wonderful notes were the first 
true circulating U. S. Treasury issues so there is a great deal of interest in them and they have high visibility. 
The Paper 
Column 
Peter Huntoon 
Doug Murray 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
85
Classification guide for assigning Friedberg numbers to 1862 and 1863 Legal Tender Notes. 
Series No.
Fr. No. Act Plate Date Series Number Placement Imprints Monogram Seal Serial Numbers
$1 1862
17 Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 1 left National-American none 1st seal on left serial
17d Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 1 left National-American ABC 1st seal on left serial
17b Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 1 left National-American ABC 2nd seal on left serial
17a Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 1-166 left National-American ABC 2nd left serial on green counter
16b Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 166-174 left National-National none 2nd left serial on green counter
16 1st group Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 174-234 left National-National none 2nd left serial on green counter
17c Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 199-204 left National-American ABC 2nd left serial on green counter
16a Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 204-219 left National-National ABC 2nd left serial on green counter
16 2nd group Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 219-234 left National-National none 2nd left serial on green counter
16c Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 235-284 right National-National none 2nd left serial on green counter
$2 1862
41b Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 1 right American-National none 1st no face plate number left of portrait
41c Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 1-2 right American-National none 2nd no face plate number left of portrait
41d Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 1 right American-National none 2nd inverted no face plate number left of portrait
41a Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 3-88 right American-National none 2nd face plate number left of portrait 
41 Jul 11, 1862 Aug 1, 1862 88-171 right National-National none 2nd face plate number left of portrait 
$5 1862/1863
61 Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 no series none American none 1st one serial number
61a Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 2-59 upper left American none 1st one serial number
61b Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 59-70 upper left American none 2nd one serial number
61c Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 71-119 lower left American none 2nd one serial number
62 Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 New 1-23 lower right American-National none 2nd one serial number
63 Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 24-65 lower right American-National none 2nd one serial number 
63a Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 65-75 lower right American-American none 2nd one serial number 
63b Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 75-83 lower right American-American none 2nd two serial numbers 
$10 1862/1863
93a Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 1 upper right American-Ptd by Nat none 1st upper right corner one serial number
93a-I Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 1 upper right American-Ptd by Nat none 1st upper right corner one serial number
93b Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 1-9 upper right American-Ptd by Nat none 1st right center one serial number
93c Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 1-25 upper right American-Ptd by Nat none 1st right center one serial number
93e Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 5-7 census upper right American-Ptd by Nat none 1st right center one serial number
93f Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 5 census upper right American-Ptd by Nat none 1st right center one serial number 
93d Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 26-27 upper right American-Ptd by Nat none 1st right center one serial number 
93 Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 28-63 upper right American-Ptd by Nat none 2nd right center one serial number
94 Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 New 1-15 upper right American-National none 2nd right center one serial number
95 Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 16-40 upper right American-National none 2nd right center one serial number
95c Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 40-44 upper right American-National none 2nd right center one serial number
95a Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 44-48 upper right American-American none 2nd right center one serial number
95b Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 48-56 upper right American-American N 2nd right center two serial numbers
$20 1862/1863 one serial number 
124a Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 no series none American none 1st one serial number
124b Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 2-12 top center American none 1st one serial number
124 Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 12-24 top center American none 2nd one serial number
125 Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 New 1-8 top center National-American none 2nd one serial number
126 Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 9-18 top center National-American none 2nd one serial number 
126a Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 18-20 top center American none 2nd one serial number 
126c Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 20-21 top center American none 2nd two serial numbers in line with each other
126b Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 21-28 top center American none 2nd two serial numbers, left in lower left corner
$50 1862/1863
148 Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 1-3 upper right National none 1st one serial number 
148a Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 3-5 upper right National none 2nd one serial number 
150 Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 1 upper right National none 2nd one serial number 
150b Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 1-2 upper right National-American none 2nd one serial number 
150a Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 2 upper right National-American none 2nd one serial number 
$100 1862/1863
165 Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 no series none National ABC 1st one serial number 
165b Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 2 lower right National none 1st one serial number 
165a Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 2-3 lower right National none 2nd one serial number 
167b Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 1 lower right National none 2nd one serial number 
167 Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 1 lower right National-American none 2nd one serial number 
167a Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 1-2 lower right National none 2nd two serial numbers 
$500 1862/1863
183 Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 no series none American none 1st one serial number 
183a Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 no series none American none 2nd one serial number 
183b Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 New 1 left American-National none 2nd one serial number
183e Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1862 New 1 left American-National none 2nd one serial number 
183c Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1862 New 1 left American none 2nd one serial number 
183f Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 1 left American none 2nd one serial number 
183d Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 1 left American none 2nd two serials with left in brackets with different font
$1000 1862/1863
186 Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 no series none American none 1st one serial number 
186a Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 no series none American none 2nd one serial number 
186b Feb 25, 1862 Mar 10, 1862 New no series lower left American-National none 2nd one serial number 
186c Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1862 New no series lower left American-National none 2nd one serial number 
186e-1 Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1862 New no series lower left American none 2nd one serial number 
186d Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New no series & 2 lower left American none 2nd one serial number 
186e Mar 3, 1863 Mar 10, 1863 New 2 lower left American none 2nd two serials with left in brackets with different font
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
86
    
Green Underprinted Number
Patent Date Back Number Printed Special Characteristic Reported Fr. No.
$1 1862
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 5,000 est 4 17
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 7,000 est 6 17d
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 12,000 est 1 17b
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 16,512,000 est plates 1 to 45 17a
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 810,000 plates 1-16, 18, 21, 23, 25-45 16b
none 2nd obligation 5,854,000 plates 1-16, 18, 21, 23, 25-45 16 - 1st group
none 2nd obligation 50,000 est with Fr.16 plates 17, 19, 20, 22, 24 17c
none 2nd obligation 150,000 est with Fr.16 plates 17, 19, 20, 22, 24 16a
none 2nd obligation 5,854,000 plates 17, 19, 20, 22, 24 16 - 2nd group
none 2nd obligation 4,946,000 16c
$2 1862
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 10,000 est error - plate number omitted 6 41b
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 178,000 est error - plate number omitted 6 41c
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 12,000 est error - seal inverted & no plate no. 3 41d
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 8,511,160 est 41a
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 8,318,840 41
$5 1862/1863
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 100,000 61
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 5,750,000 est 61a
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 1,150,000 est 61b
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 4,900,000 61c
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 2,300,000 62
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 4,132,764 63
none 2nd obligation 1,000,000 63a
none 2nd obligation 867,236 63b
$10 1862/1863
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 60,000 est no starburst bottom 5 93a
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 20,000 est with Fr.93a starburst bottom 2 93a-I
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 120,000 est with Fr.93c no starburst bottom 93b
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 2,220,000 est starburst bottom 93c
none (error) 1st obligation 60,000 est with Fr.93b no starburst bottom 5 93e
none (error) 1st obligation 20,000 est with Fr.93c starburst bottom 3 93f
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 200,000 est starburst bottom 7 93d
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 3,600,000 est starburst bottom 93
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 1,500,000 starburst bottom 94
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 2,430,504 starburst bottom 95
April 28, 1863 2nd obligation 370,000 starburst bottom 95c
April 28, 1863 2nd obligation 400,000 starburst bottom 95a
April 28, 1863 2nd obligation 800,496 starburst bottom 95b
$20 1862/1863
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 100,000 2 124a
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 1,050,000 est 124b
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 1,250,000 est 124
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 800,000 125
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 920,984 126
none 2nd obligation 225,000 126a
none 2nd obligation 66,016 est error - left serial number was misplaced 9 126c
none 2nd obligation 734,000 est 126b
$50 1862/1863
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 260,000 est 148
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 173,600 est 6 148a
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 32,000 150
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 70,504 1 150b
April 28, 1863 2nd obligation 65,000 150a
$100 1862/1863
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 100,000 1 165
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 35,000 est 2 165b
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 155,000 est 6 165a
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 24,000 2 167b
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 29,440 2 167
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 56,560 167a
$500 1862/1863
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 26,000 1 183
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 12,000 possibly printed 183a
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 5,000 possibly printed 183b
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 22,828 error - plate date should be Mar 10, 1863 183e
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 22,000 error - plate date should be Mar 10, 1863 3 183c
none 2nd obligation 8,000 1 183f
none 2nd obligation 20,000 1 183d
$1000 1862/1863
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 12,000 186
30 JUNE 1857 1st obligation 10,000 possibly printed 186a
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 2,500 possibly printed 186b
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 24,904 error - plate date should be Mar 10, 1863 1 186c
30 JUNE 1857 2nd obligation 22,000 error - plate date should be Mar 10, 1863 186e-1
none 2nd obligation 64,000 2 186d
none 2nd obligation 20,000 1 186e
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
87
Obligations – backs 
Several key elements – faces 
Series Numbers 
The serial numbering system used on these notes is coupled with the series. Each denomination 
began with Series 1. The numbering heads used by the bank note companies had five number wheels so the 
highest number they could print was 99999. However, they hand set 100000 to round out a series. They 
then advanced the series and printed the next 100000 and so on. 
In order to change the series, which was a number etched into the surface of the face plates, they 
had to burnish off the old number and etch in the next. 
In some cases, they did not etch in a 1 for the first 100,000 notes. See $5 Fr.61, $20 124a, $100 
165, $500 183, 183a, $1000 186, 186a. The series number was omitted by mistake on some $2 Fr.41b, 41c, 
41d notes. 
Figure 1. First obligations on left, second on right. The distinction is that the first provides for the exchange of 
the notes for U. S. bonds. 
Figure 2. This is a Fr.95 note with March 3, 1863 act date, American & National bank note 
company imprints, March 10, 1863 plate date, series = 18 New Series, and 30 JUNE 1857 patent 
date.  
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
88
Bank Note Company Imprints 
 The contracts for engraving the master dies for the various denominations were spread among the 
American and National bank note companies as follows: National $1, $2, $50, $100, American $5, $10, 
$20, $500, $1000, so their respective imprints were placed on the dies. 
However, a second imprint occurs on most notes, some being duplicates, others being the other 
company. We have not found an official explanation for the second imprint or discerned a pattern that 
explains every instance. We simply don’t understand how the imprint system worked. 
Patent Dates 
 The green ink used to print the green tints on the faces of the notes were patented anti-counterfeiting 
inks. The patent holders claimed the green couldn’t be removed without damaging the black intaglio 
printing and the paper, which would prevent counterfeiters from obtaining a sharp photographic image of 
the black overlay. The Treasury paid a royalty for the use of the inks, first for the Matthews and next for 
the Eaton formulas; however, neither worked. The patented inks were then dropped from use. 
The patent dates were incorporated into the designs of the intaglio plates used to print the green 
tints. Their locations varied depending on denomination, but they are found free-standing under some part 
of the tint. They can be difficult to see on well-circulated specimens. The Eaton ink is decidedly bluish. 
 The June 30, 1857 date was omitted from one or more of the tint plates used to print $10 1862 
Series 5 through 7 notes, thus creating the Fr. 93e & f varieties, which technically classify as errors. 
Figure 4. George Matthews’ June 30, 1857 and Asahel K. Eaton’s April 28, 1863 patent dates on 1862 and 1863 
Legal Tender Notes were for anti-photographic green tint inks. 
 
Figure 3. Someone put together this neat 
pair, not a rollover pair because the 100000 
is series 73 and the 1 is series 20. The 100000 
had to be hand set because the numbering 
heads had only 5 number wheels. Lyn Knight 
Auction photo. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
89
Monograms 
Corporate monograms were added to a few of the face plates, probably to reveal who printed them. 
See ABC for $5 Fr.16a, 17a, 17b, 17c, 17d, $100 Fr.165 and N for $10 Fr.95c. 
Seals 
Starburst on some $10s 
The first six $10 plates were altered Demand Note plates. They have no starburst in the center of 
the lower border. Successive plates made exclusively for the legal tender issues incorporate the starburst. 
This detail applies only to the $10 notes and is listed in the column labeled “Special Characteristics.” 
Figure 5. Bank note company 
monograms: ABC on Fr.17a 
(left) and N on Fr.95b (right). 
Figure 6. The background behind the shield is solid on the first seal (left). 
Figure 7. The bottom border of the $10s come without (top) and with (bottom) a starburst in the center. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
90
3rd Issue Fractional Error Notes (25¢ to 50¢) – Part 2 
By Rick Melamed 
In previous issues of Paper Money, we explored 2nd issue fractional surcharge errors and fractional error notes 
from the 3rd issue between the 3¢ to 25¢ denominations.  In this issue we complete the 3rd issue research with a 
presentation of the 25¢ (Fessenden) and the 50¢ (Justice and Spinner) error fractionals.1  Unlike small sized U.S. 
currency, which has been robustly researched and catalogued, research on fractional error notes is a somewhat under-
represented. Therefore, a broad overview dedicated to just fractional errors should be well received.  Drawing from 
an array of high-quality images not available 15 years ago, we are able to deliver a more detailed overview on this 
subject. 
A great debt of gratitude must be extended to the father of fractional research, Milton Friedberg.   His reference 
book ‘Encyclopedia of Postage and Fractional Currency’ contains extensive research on all things fractional, with a 
portion devoted to errors.  However, while inverted printing errors were included, other types of errors (i.e. offsets, 
misalignments, gutter folds, etc.) were not.   Also, the images in Milt’s reference were in black and white and were 
not of optimal quality. 
Thanks must also be extended to former FCCB (Fractional) President, Tom O’Mara, and SPMC and FCCB 
former President and current editor, Benny Bolin, for their charts of 3rd issue fractional errors.  They’ve allowed me 
to reprint their original charts and combine them with a host of scans to give us an updated article.  Benny shared 
some of his interesting errors from his personal collection.  The images from Tom’s vast error collection (auctioned 
in 2005 by Heritage), as well as John Ford’s large collection of error fractionals (auctioned by Stack’s from 2004-
2007), were also a huge help. 
3rd issue fractionals offer a type of error found nowhere else in U.S. issued currency; the use of bronze 
surcharges.  These bronze surcharges were one of the many anti-counterfeiting measures undertaken by the U.S. 
Treasury.  The process was fairly straightforward; first glue was applied to the notes, then a bronzing powder was 
added.  The bronzing that adhered to the note resulted in the familiar surcharges.  The improper application of glue, 
as well as the multitude of inverted possibilities, produced a fascinating array of bronzing errors. This array of 
bronzing errors, combined with the more recognizable traditional currency errors, results in an extensive variety of 
error notes. 
A. 3rd Issue 25¢ Fessenden Errors.  Fessenden fractionals are an underappreciated series.  While
Spinner and Justice fractionals get more attention from collectors, the Fessenden is a rich series with many 
varieties and sub-varieties. The mystique of the Fr. 1299 and Fr. 1300 with its thick coarse paper, solid front 
surcharges and elusive ‘M-2-6-5’ reverse corner surcharges are very desirable, and my personal favorite.  It 
demonstrates how far the Treasury went to thwart the counterfeiters. Too far in actuality, since they were 
rather difficult to produce.  This made them a short-lived series, but a nice well-preserved example is 
something to be treasured.  
As it relates to errors; with all those varieties, there a quite a few possibilities. 
1. Inverted Reverse Engraving and Surcharge Errors.  The chart shown contains the general
Friedberg numbers (in the far-left column); individual Milton alpha-numeric designations
(i.e.:  3R25.2j) are included where applicable.  There are three categories for this kind of error.
a. Inverted Back Engraving – Just the back design is inverted; the face engraving and all the surcharges
are normal.
b. Inverted Back Surcharges – The design and front surcharge are normal; the back surcharge is inverted.
c. Total Back Inverted – The face surcharge and design are normal; the back surcharge and design are
inverted.
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
92
3rd issue - 25 Cents 
Friedberg No. 
Inverted Back 
Engraving 
Inverted Back 
Surcharges 
Total Back 
Inverted 
1291  Unknown 3R25.1h - Unique  Unknown  
1292  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown 
1294  3R25.2j - Reported 3R25.2i - 12 Known 3R25.2h - Reported 
1295  3R25.2k - unique 3R35.2v - unique 3R25.2o - Unique 
1296  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown 
1297  Unknown 3R25.4f - unique  Unknown 
1298 3R25.4b - 2-3 Known 3R25.4e - Unique  Unknown 
1299  Unknown 3R25.3f - Unique - Ford  Unknown 
1300  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown 
 
Red back Fessenden surcharge errors are unique; only one example is known to exist.  The rarity of this note 
cannot be understated.  Considering the multitudes of green back inverts that exist, only one solitary red back inverted 
Fessenden is known.  Aside from the Fr. 1357 with the inverted reverse (~10 known) there are no known red back 
inverts for the Spinner, 10¢ Washington and 5¢ Clark.  This is also true for inverted plate number notes (see below).  
There are dozens of examples of inverted/mirrored plate numbers on green backs but only one red back example with 
an invert (an Fr. 1251 wide margin specimen reverse with an inverted #11).  This begs the question: why was extra 
care used on the red backs? 
 
The next string of Fessenden’s show all three types of surcharge errors: inverted back engraving,  
inverted back surcharge and total inverted back. 
 
 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
93
Fiber paper Fessenden errors are rare and quite desirable.  About five invert errors are known for  
all 25¢ fiber varieties.  Note the inverted ‘25’ and inverted the ‘M-2-6-5’ reverse corner surcharge. 
2. Fr. 1296 Engraving Error. A total of 146 plates were used to engrave the Fessenden note:
55 plates for the back design and 91 plates for the face.  90 of the 91 plates were engraved correctly; a 
single plate (Pate #144) was engraved incorrectly.  On the left side of the 12-note sheet plate, a small 
‘a’ was engraved as a sheet locator.  The normal Fr. 1295 had the ‘a’ designator positioned to the left of 
Colby’s signature.  On the FR. 1296, the engraver placed the ‘a’ 7mm to the right creating a very 
desirable engraving error.  How valuable? A gem Fr. 1296 can easily be worth 15-20 times more than 
an Fr. 1295.  
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
94
Fr. 1294-SP-WM with 90° rotated plate #13. A full sheet of Fessenden wide margin specimens 
consists of eight notes:  five horizontal (normal) and three rotated 90°, such that the Fessenden’s are laid out 
vertically with the portrait looking straight up. The sheet plate #13 was engraved normally, but when the 
sheet was cut into individual notes, the plate number would appear to be rotated.  Not an error, but it sure 
looks like one. 
3. Shifted face surcharge.  The bronze surcharges on the Fessenden face are shifted quite
significantly to the left. 
4. Inverted ‘M’ Surcharge.  On all fiber Fessenden’s there is an ‘M-2-6-5’ surcharge stamped
onto the back corners.  In this rare example of an Fr. 1297 (possibly unique), the ‘M’ in the upper left 
corner was engraved upside down so the surcharge looks like a ‘W.’   
5. Extra Bronzing.  Only 2nd and 3rd issue fractionals contain bronze surcharges. On this
example, extra bronzing had been applied to the note.  The Fr. 1298 Fessenden is a dramatic example 
with an extraneous rectangular bronze patch on the left side of the note. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
95
6. Butterfly Error. A butterfly error is a fold along the corner of a note which, after the cutting
process, results in an excess flag of paper. It roughly resembles a butterfly's wing. 
The first Fessenden displays a butterfly error 
on the bottom left. 
This Fessenden face has a butterfly on the 
bottom right. 
7. Fessenden Fold-Over Error.  The upper left corner on this Fr. 1299 solid surcharge
Fessenden was folded during the printing of the back, resulting in part of the reverse design on the fold. 
8. Gutter Fold Error.  Gutter folds are the result of the uncut sheets being sent through the
press with a wrinkle or wrinkles in the paper. When pulled, the gutter reveals a gap in the note design. 
While they are relatively common in small sized currency, in fractionals they are rare.           
 The Fr-1294-SP-WM shown below (front and back) has discernable gutter fold. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
96
9. Extra Reverse Surcharges.  This pair of fiber paper Fessenden’s each have additional
surcharges on the back.  The first has the ‘25’ shifted so low that there is an extra set of ‘6’ & ‘5’ on the 
note; the second note has an extra and partial ‘2’ & ‘6’ on the very left margin. 
11. Inverted Bronze ‘SPECIMEN’ Imprint on the Back of a Fessenden Specimen.  The back of
every Fessenden Specimen has the bronze imprint inverted.  So finding the imprint right-side up would
be the rarity.
A. 50¢ Denomination – Spinner and Justice Errors.  The undisputed kings of fractionals are the 50¢
Justice and Spinner notes.  They contain the most varieties, fetch the highest average price per note at 
auctions, and offer a large amount of error varieties.   
1. Inverted Reverse Engraving and Surcharge Errors.  With the all the varieties of Justice and
Spinner notes, it would be impractical to show every type of inverted surcharge error per Friedberg number.  
So we endeavor to show one example of each inverted variety: Type 1 back with and without the corner 
surcharges and Type 2 reverses.   Since the Type 1 reverses were the same for Justice and Spinner notes, the 
actual amount to showcase is less than one might think.  We color coded the entries tying the charts to the 
images. 
 Citing former FCCB president Tom O’Mara: 
 
The third issue Spinner and Justice 50 cent notes were printed in both red and green.  Additionally, they 
were printed with many different bronze back surcharge combinations and on different types of paper.   
The total number of Friedberg #'s assigned to these 50 cent notes is 19 Spinners and 32 Justices.  Of the 
Spinners, 7 are red backs and 12 are green backs, and of the Justices, 15 are red backs and 17 are green 
backs.   There are NO reported or known Spinner red back inverts and ONLY one Justice red back 
invert variety (Fr 1357, Milt #3R50.6a).   Interestingly enough, there are estimated to be 10 known of 
this red back Justice variety, making it the most common of all 3rd issue 50 cent inverts.  The 50 cent 
denomination came in 51 varieties of which 29 are green backs.  The 29 varieties could create 87 potential 
third issue 50 cent green back inverts (see charts).   45 of the 87 potential green invert varieties are known 
(24) or reported to exist (21) of which 8 are unique.   The total population of third issue 50 cent green
back inverts is estimated to be 57+ (32 Spinner, 25 Justice)
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
97
3rd issue - 50 CENTS -  Spinner 
Friedberg No. Inverted Back Engraving Inverted Back Surcharges Total Back Inverted 
1324-1330 Unknown Unknown Unknown
1331 3R50.19p - Reported 3R50.19l - Reported (4) 3R50.19h - Reported 
1332 - ‘1’ & ‘a’ 3R50.19q - Unique 3R50.19m - 3 Known 3R50.19i - Reported 
1333 - ‘1’ 3R50.19r - Reported 3R50.19n - Reported 3R50.19j - Reported 
1334 - ‘a’ 3R50.19s - Reported 3R50.19o - Reported 3R50.19k - Reported 
1335 3R50.20h - Reported 3R50.20d - 4 Known  Unknown 
1336 -’1’ & ‘a’ 3R50.20i - Reported 3R50.20e  - Reported  Unknown 
1337 -’1’ 3R50.20j - Reported 3R50.20f  - Unique  Unknown 
1338 - ‘a’ 3R50.20k - Reported 3R50.20g - 2 Known  Unknown 
1339 -Type 2 rev  Unknown 3R50.21h - 2 Known 3R50.21l – 2 Known 
1340 -’1’ & ‘a’  Unknown 3R50.21i - 2 Known  Unknown 
1341 -’1’  Unknown 3R50.21j  Unknown 
1342 -’a’  Unknown 3R50.21k - Unique  Unknown 
3rd issue - 50 CENTS -  Justice 
Friedberg No. Inverted Back Engraving Inverted Back Surcharges Total Back Inverted 
1343-1356 (red 
back) 
 Unknown  Unknown  Unknown 
1357 (red back)  3R50.6a - 10 Known Unknown  Unknown
1358  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown 
1359—’1’ & ‘a’  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown 
1360—’1’ Unknown  3R50.13d - Reported Unknown 
1361—’a’  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown 
1362 3R50.10h - Reported 3R50.10d - 2 Known  Unknown 
1363—’1’ & ‘a’ Unknown 3R50.10e - Reported  Unknown 
1364—’1’ Unknown 3R50.10f - 4 Known  Unknown 
1365—’a’ Unknown 3R50.10g - 3 Known 3R50.10i - Reported 
1366 Unknown 3R50.11d - 6 Known  Unknown 
1367—’1’ & ‘a’ Unknown 3R50.11e - Reported  Unknown 
1368—’1’ Unknown 3R50.11f - Reported  Unknown 
1369—’a’ Unknown 3R50.11g - Reported  Unknown 
1370 3R50.12h - 2-3 Known 3R50.12d - Unique 3R50.12l - unique 
1371—’1’ & ‘a’ 3R50.12i - Reported 3R50.12e - Reported  Unknown 
1372—’1’ 3R50.12j - Reported 3R50.12f - Reported  Unknown 
1373—’a’ 3R50.12k - 2 Known 3R50.12g - 2 Known 3R50.12l - 4 Known 
1373a—’S-2-6-4’ Unknown  Unknown  Unknown 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
98
a. Type 1 Inverted Back Engraving with and without Corner Surcharges.  These types of error
reverses are found on Justice and Spinner fractionals designated in the charts in red fonts.   
b. Type 1 Inverted Green Back Surcharges with and without Corner Surcharges.  These types of
error backs are found on Justice and Spinner fractionals designated in the charts in blue fonts.  Note how the 
‘A-2-6-5’ corner surcharges are inverted along with the large ’50.’ 
c. Type 1 Total Inverted Back (Surcharges and Design) with and without Corner Surcharges.
These types of error backs are found on Justice and Spinner fractionals are designated in green fonts.  
d. Type 2 Back with Inverted Surcharges.  These types of error reverses are found on Spinner
fractionals only and designated in the charts in pink fonts.   
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
99
e. Type 2 Total Inverted Green Back (Surcharges and Design).  These types of error reverses are
found on Spinner fractionals only and designated in the violet fonts.  There are no known examples of 
Spinner Type 2 backs with inverted back design. 
f. Type 1 Inverted Red Back Fiber Justice Fractional.  While this inverted back engraving error is
fairly common (Milt # 3R50.6a), with approximately ten known, it is the only red back Justice or Spinner 
displaying an inverted surcharge or printing error.   This error is designated in the chart in brown fonts. 
2. Misaligned Surcharges.  The ‘50’ surcharges on these red and green backs were incorrectly aligned.
On the first green back, the ‘A-2-6-5’ is also wildly misaligned. 
The two large bronze ‘FIFTY’s framing the Justice portrait are shifted so low, they are touching the bottom 
margin.  
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
100
3. Insufficient Inking.  The left side of this Fiber Justice note is under inked, creating a situation where
designating this with the proper Friedberg number is impossible.  This could be either an Fr. 1370, with no 
sheet positon designator ‘1’ nor ‘a’, or  an Fr. 1372. The under inking on the left side of the ‘FIFTY’, where 
the ‘1’ could have been, is unknown due to the lack of sufficient ink.   
4. Excessive Inking and bronzing.  This first error note on a Type 2 reverse is a spectacular example
of too much ink.  The second Type 1 Reverse has quite a lot of extra ink on the left side of the note and as a 
bonus there is a partial offset on the far-right margin. 
This 3rd example of this hand signed Justice has a large bronze spot, the result of some wayward glue 
and bronzing powder.  A minor error but it makes a strong visual impact. 
5. Offset Errors.  Offset errors are so rare in fractionals that even a minor offset is significant.
The left red ‘50’ oval of the note on the left is an 
interesting offset.  The ‘CURR’ of ‘CURRENCY’ on 
the face of a Justice fractional (below Justice’s portrait 
on the bottom margin) is clearly visible, as well as the 
very bottom part of Justice’s robe. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
101
The next error in no way can be considered 
minor; it is one of the most spectacular offset errors 
in existence.  Two red inverted ‘50’ ovals on a 
green back type 1 is breathtaking.  Apparently, a 
type 1 red back sheet was laid on top of the green 
back with the red offset adhering to the note.  It also 
proves that both red and green type 1 reverses were 
printed simultaneously, giving us valuable insight 
on the printing process. 
6. Signature Errors.  National Bank Notes aside, certain varieties of Fractionals are the only U.S.
issued currency that are hand signed.  Small, MPC and Large sized notes all have preprinted signatures. 
Fractionals with hand signed autographs can give rise to a unique set of errors. Shown below is a series of 
notes that are missing the autographs and/or missing the respective titles (Register/Treasurer).  These are not 
printing errors, but rather errors of omission.  
The first example is an Fr. 1328/1329. 
Colby’s or Allison’s autograph is missing from 
the bottom left of this Spinner note.  Fr. 1328 
contains Colby’s’ autograph and Fr. 1329 
contains Allison’s, so we cannot be certain of the 
exact Friedberg number.  It throws the balance 
of the note off and certainly catches one’s eye. 
These are relatively common, as about a dozen 
have shown up at auction over the years.   
The fraternal twin of the Fr. 1328/29 is the 
following Fr. 1355 missing Colby’s autograph 
on the bottom left.  Certainly, a perfect 
bookend to the note above. 
The next error note is another Fr. 1355, 
but this time the ‘Register’ and ‘Treasurer’ 
titles that are supposed to be under Spinner’s 
and Colby’s name have been omitted.   
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
102
The array of signature errors continues with this 
stunning Fr. 1328-1330 that is missing the autographs 
and the titles.   Since it is missing the signatures, we 
cannot determine the Friedberg number.  Fr. 1328 
contains Colby and Spinner; Fr. 1329 has Allison and 
Spinner; Fr. 1330 contains Allison and New. 
7. Inverted/Mirrored Sheet Plate Numbers.  When plates of Type 1 reverses (used on Justice and
Spinner notes) were engraved, it usually fell upon an apprentice to engrave a sheet plate number for 
accounting purposes.  They were engraved inside the design portion of the plate in a place where the number 
would usually be trimmed when the sheet was cut into individual notes.  But every so often, plate numbers 
survived the scissor, leading to what is colloquially called a ‘plate number note.’  They are always located in 
the corners.  Things get a lot more interesting when the apprentice, either by purposeful intent or carelessness, 
engraved the sheet plate number inverted or in mirror image.  On the Type 1 reverse, nine different numbers 
have been catalogued2. Rather than show nine different notes, a collage of examples was created with the 
different plate number errors combined onto a single note for maximum visual impact.  Note how the design 
is different for each number, indicating there was more than one apprentice performing the work.    
Inverted Bronze/No Bronze ‘SPECIMEN’ Imprint on the Back of a Spinner Specimen.  This trio of 
Spinner obverse specimens have third different backs.  The first has an inverted ‘SPECIMEN’ imprint, the 
second example has ‘SPECIMEN’ printed correctly and the final note has no imprint at all.  Two of the three 
are errors. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
103
Missing Bronze ‘SPECIMEN’ Imprint.  A rare error – Specimen reverses almost always have the 
bronze ‘SPECIMEN’ imprint on the blank back.  This example on the left does not; the red back specimen 
reverse on the right is the correct depiction.  
8. Gutterfold Errors.  Gutter folds on fractionals are very rare, especially on Spinner and Justice notes.
They are much more common on small sized currency.  The long, thin gutter fold nearly running the entire 
note is a very nice example of this elusive error. 
The Justice note displays a large gutter fold across the entire top margin of the note. 
I tried to be comprehensive, but one of the intriguing things about error notes is there is always a new discovery 
around the corner; something we’ve never seen before followed by… “Wow, that’s cool.” The fractional invert charts 
are waiting to be populated; changing the status category from ‘unknown’ to ‘1 known.’  In the end, it means Milt 
Friedberg’s exhaustive cataloguing in actuality is still a work in progress.  If anyone in the community has an image 
of a fractional error not contained in this article, please email a scan to me (riconio@yahoo.com) and our editor Benny 
Bolin (smcbb@sbcglobal.net). We’d love to publish a follow-up with new discoveries. 
Thanks to Len Glazer at Heritage for his guidance and expertise. Thanks to Martin Gengerke and to Benny Bolin 
who shared images of a lot of rare errors, to Jerry Fochtman editor of the Fractional (FCCB) Newsletter, to Stacks 
Bowers and Heritage for use of their auction archives and to the currency community whose interest in all type of 
errors remains strong.  Finally, thanks are to be my son David Melamed; his excellent editing skills have aided me 
tremendously.   
1 A comprehensive article of 1st issue error postage notes and fractional dual denomination errors was presented in a 2016 Fractional 
(FCCB) newsletter.   
2 For more information on inverted and mirrored plate number fractional notes, extensive research was presented in Paper Money  Jan/Feb 
2003 (Vol. XLII, No.1 – Whole 223) and Jan/Feb 2006  (Vol. XLV, No. 1 – Whole 241) 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
104
GRANT SHERMAN REVERSE WITH 90° ROTATED PLATE #1
by Rick Melamed 
The following note was discovered after Part 1 of the 3rd issue fractional errors (3¢ - 15¢) was published in Paper 
Money.  The Wide Margin Grant Sherman Fractional Specimen Reverse (Fr. 1272SP-WM-REV) is a fascinating 
discovery with a logical explanation.  On the top margin is a 90° rotated sheet plate #1.  Any plate number on a 
specimen is rare, but one that is rotated in this manner is truly noteworthy. 
Here is the same Grant Sherman Specimen that has the sheet plate number positioned correctly.  How the sheet was 
cut determined the position of the sheet plate number. 
This specimen plate number is not an engraving error, 
however.  Grant Sherman fractionals were produced in 
sheets of 8 notes.  They were laid out 5 horizontal and 3 
vertical.   
The note shown was in the vertical position; so when the 
note was cut, the sheet plate number “1” was captured in a 
90° rotation (the “1” has been enlarged).  See the grid to the 
left to visualize the layout. A stunning effect for sure.
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
105
U n c o u p l e d : 
Paper Money’s 
Odd Couple 
Joseph	E.	Boling	 						Fred	Schwan	
World War I (part 3) 
Continuing where we left off, I promised a trip to the 
Straits Settlements. This was a British crown colony 
principally on the Malay Peninsula. Just as in the 
following war, from 1914-18 metals were diverted to 
arms and ammunition. Small change notes were 
needed to replace coins, and the only ready solution 
was to print them locally. Both 10 cent and 25-cent 
notes were created and counterfeited, but I do not yet 
have a counterfeit of the 25c piece. Both 
denominations were printed by the Survey Dept., 
Federated Malay States (without imprint).  
 These are crude by any standard. The following 
descriptions pertain to the 10¢ note. They are 100% 
letterpress in three colors on the face and one color 
on the back (see figures 1 and 2 below).          
See Boling page 112 
Bond-related Throw-aways 
 Envelope stuffers were used by the Treasury 
Department since at least the beginning of the sale of 
Series E defense bonds, and probably from the very 
beginning of the sale of baby bonds in 1935. They 
were sent with bonds, interest checks, and 
correspondence to encourage bond sales or inform 
recipients about some aspect of the system.  
 I avidly collect savings bond envelope stuffers as 
part of my bond collections. I love collecting things 
that most collectors have never heard of, or at least 
would never think of collecting. In the case of bond 
envelope stuffers, we have sort of a compound 
obscure situation. Few collectors even think of the 
bonds as numismatic items. The stuffers are an 
unusual subset of the bonds. Another level of 
obscurity is to create catalog listings of unusual 
items. Joe and I have made virtual careers of that! 
Indeed, the images shown here were taken from the 
drafts of two different catalogs of United States 
savings bonds under preparation. 
 Stuffers are throw away items—items that served 
no purpose after the initial one. Throw away items 
are almost always, well, thrown away. They 
constitute an interesting class of collectibles I love. 
Even I was slow to start collecting the stuffers. In 
the late 1990s I had become very serious about 
collecting war bonds of World War II. Joe and I had 
included pioneering listings in World War II 
Remembered. I had some sales literature and other 
materials in my collection, but I did not have any 
envelope stuffers. None. 
 It was time to go to Memphis for the big show. 
My bank account was empty. There was no way that 
I should be going to Memphis. I had reserved a 
bourse table some months before, so I felt that I 
should go and, of course, I WANTED to go. So I 
rationalized that I would sell, sell, sell and not buy 
anything. Nothing. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
106
 You know where this is going. As I set up my 
table, I noticed an interesting looking three-ring 
binder on another back-up table. The now-forgotten 
table-holder handed it to me. 
 The album contained a quite remarkable 
collection of 33 different war bond stuffers. The 
seller did not have any information on the group. To 
me it looked like one bond buyer had saved the 
stuffers at the time that the bonds were purchased. 
The bonds were ultimately cashed, but the stuffers 
kept. 
 I loved the group immediately, and the vow of 
poverty went out the window. Of course, it was not 
all that expensive, and I am grateful that I went to the 
show.  
 Treasury still sends stuffers today. Probably they 
are sent with government checks, but there is now 
only one way to get them with bonds. Paper bonds 
were discontinued in 2012 with one small exception. 
You can still request that your tax refund be issued in 
Series I bonds and receive paper bonds! Not many 
savers do this today. A few collectors go through the 
process in order to get these last remnants of the 
paper bond system. Unfortunately, even when you 
request the bond refunds, you sometimes (often) do 
not receive them! In two of the years that I applied 
for them, I did not get them because of some 
bureaucratic mix up. It being that time of the year 
right now, I am preparing to try again. 
 Since obtaining the collection of 33, I have found 
only one stuffer from the war period to add! It is the 
last image shown in the groups of WWII pieces. 
(“The Winnah!”) 
 Unfortunately (and surprisingly), these stuffers 
do not have any marginal information to help identify 
the dates of issue and other details.  
 Overall, these are scarce if not rare. A full set of   
these from World War II should be about 46 different 
pieces. However, it is possible that more or fewer 
were created and used. 
 I believe that few of these stuffers have ever been 
illustrated in any numismatic journal, and I am 
pleased to share them with you. I have supplemented 
the images with additional stuffers from the 2000s. I 
will of course be interested in seeing (and hopefully 
obtaining) any stuffers that you might have!  
fredschwan@yahoo.com. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
107
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
108
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
109
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
110
111
Envelope stuffers recent issues ca.2000-2017
Boling Continued: 
The yellow tint on the face has repeating lines of 
“Straits Settlements Ten Cents” (figure 3). The 
yellow print is not 
always legible on 
genuine notes. 
That proved to be 
the hardest feature 
for the 
counterfeiters to 
duplicate—
possibly because 
they could not read it on the notes in hand. The 
signature on the initial issues (1917-18) is of the 
acting treasurer (abbreviated Ag. Treasurer). I have 
not yet seen a counterfeit of that variety, although I 
do have a counterfeit dated during the acting 
treasurer’s tenure with the later (wrong) signature.  
 Genuine paper is thick and stiff and has a screen 
pattern that may run vertically or horizontally (figure 
4, horizontally in this note). Don’t look at the note 
interior—those lines are the tint described above. If 
the screen pattern is visible, it will be in the wide 
margins. There may be a manufacturer’s watermark 
in some genuine notes—I have not yet observed one. 
The date is buried in the ornament in the center of the 
back. Many dates were used—the note in figure 2 is 
dated 15-1-20 in three circles at left, right, and 
bottom of that ornament. With the year date on the 
centerline of the design, it is often illegible due to 
circulation damage.  
 The counterfeits are also all letterpress. I have 
three, each apparently from a different gang (based 
on differences among them, figures 5-13—each 
group of three shows face-back-watermark of one of 
the counterfeits). Two are on paper with a screen 
pattern similar to the genuine notes, but with parts of 
manufacturer’s watermarks visible (...lton /... e 
Ledg... on one (figure 7), part of a curlicue design on 
the other (figure 10)). The third has no screen or 
watermark (figure 13), and is the one dated during 
the acting treasurer’s term, but with the treasurer’s 
signature. The yellow face text on all three 
counterfeits is gibberish (figure 14 is an example). 
 Figures 15-16 show a low-grade example of the 
25¢ note, with many repairs and restorations. I don’t 
have a counterfeit to show you. The ones I have seen, 
however, have been modern and very well done, so I 
recommend against buying raw examples of this 
note.  
 Not much text this month, but lots of real estate 
devoted to photos, so I will stop here. Next issue we 
will look at two British government counterfeits of 
notes of the Central Powers. 
Figure 7 
Figure 5 above and Figure 6 below 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
112
Figure 8    Figure 11 
Figure 9 Figure 12 
Figure 10 
Figure 13 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
113
Figure 14 
Figure 15 
   Figure 16 
Calling all FEST’ers
Make plans now to join us at 
MPC Fest 20 
May 3-6 
Holiday Inn Express 
Port Clinton-Catawba Island 
Hotel—419-349-3492 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
114
Jason W. Bradford Launches Legacy Currency Grading 
Jason W. Bradford and his team of experts launched Legacy Currency Grading (www.LegacyGrading.com), 
a new paper money grading and authentication service, on February 20, 2019. Legacy Currency Grading will offer a 
warranty for all banknotes certified by its graders. 
"Legacy Currency Grading will strive to improve the consistency and accuracy in grading for which my team 
has always been known. We will focus our primary efforts on excellent customer service and turnaround times, and 
we will be expanding our team," stated Bradford, the founding and former President of PCGS Currency. "We’ve 
added both operational staff and additional grading experts to increase our capacity and help dramatically reduce 
turnaround times. The guarantee for all Legacy graded notes will be as strong as ever, with all notes guaranteed for 
grade and authenticity by our lifetime grading warranty," explained Bradford. 
"In addition, to ensure the continuity and stabilization of the market, Legacy Currency Grading will continue to honor 
the same grading guarantee for all notes that K3B, Inc. certified from February 4, 2009 until January 30, 2019, under 
the license for the PCGS Currency brand name from Collectors Universe, Inc. The Legacy Currency Grading 
population report will also include all notes graded under that same license," he added. 
In order to make the transition as smooth as possible for all collectors and dealers, Legacy Currency Grading 
will be offering a discounted "crossover" service for all notes graded under the previous brand name. 
"For a limited time, we will be offering a special rate for our clients to reholder their notes into Legacy Currency 
Grading holders," said Bradford. "Details will be announced in the near future regarding the procedures for submitting 
notes, including the ‘crossover’ service." 
Legacy Currency Grading is also launching a new holder design featuring a fully sealed holder with the 
grading insert inside the tamper-proof Mylar plastic. "This holder design is the result of several years of market 
research. The Legacy Currency Grading holder will be made of the same acid-free Mylar material used by generations 
of collectors and dealers. We are extremely excited about this new holder because I believe that this is the safest 
material for the long term storage of any banknote, and we won’t compromise by using anything but the highest 
archival quality materials for our holders," stated Bradford. 
Existing grading submissions that were previously submitted to K3B, Inc. now will be graded by Legacy 
Currency Grading. "We will be contacting all clients in the immediate future regarding the details of their submissions 
and the estimated time frame for completion. However, if any client prefers that their notes be returned ungraded and 
their fees refunded, we will, of course, honor that request," said Bradford. "In addition, all current memberships from 
the old service will be honored and extended in the new Legacy Membership program." 
Bradford is a pioneer in the paper money grading profession, personally examining, authenticating and grading more 
than a million banknotes since 2005. He will continue to lead the new company as President and CEO. 
"It is extremely important for me to focus my energies primarily on grading and training our other graders. 
The day-to-day operations of the company and customer service will be overseen by our management team, which 
will free me and the other graders to focus on doing what we do best — grading banknotes. We are optimistic and 
excited about the future of the currency collecting hobby and the marketplace. Legacy Currency Grading will provide 
the best and most efficient customer service, and the most accurate and consistent grading process possible," Bradford 
pledged. 
Information regarding submitting banknotes for grading and authentication to Legacy Currency Grading will 
available soon at www.LegacyGrading.com, or by calling the Legacy office at 309-222-8200, or by email at 
info@LegacyGrading.com. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
115
A modern reproduction of a lithograph by Nathaniel Currier. 
image: M. D. Ashmore 
Origins of the Train Vignette on Confederate Type-39 Treasury Notes 
by Marvin D. Ashmore & Michael McNeil 
Collectors of Confederate Treasury notes are 
familiar with the $100 Type-39 design. A production of 
the Richmond, Virginia firm of Hoyer & Ludwig, it is a 
decent quality lithograph of an interest-bearing note of 
the Fourth Series approved by the Confederate Congress 
on April 17th, 1862. The note bore interest at two cents 
per day which works out to 7.30% per year, hence the 
nickname of “seven-thirty” for this and the Type-41 
notes. Criswell gave minor plate variations of the T-39 a 
new Type number of T-40 in an effort to create a broader 
market for these notes among collectors; the variations 
are minute with no change in the design or vignettes. 
These notes were hand-dated on the front to 
establish the time from which these notes would bear 
interest. Treasury Secretary Memminger would also later 
direct that these notes would be dated on the back at 
their time of issue by depositaries, quartermasters, 
commissaries, and agents, an effort to further limit 
government liability for interest payments. Although 
Memminger’s order only required a date of issue, issuers 
also wrote their names, titles, rank, and occasionally 
their locations and military units. Fascination with these 
more embellished endorsements gave rise to the 
dedicated group known as “The Trainmen,” founded by 
W. Crutchfield Williams, II in 1998 and now having
many active members. Three members of this group
have written many of the recent books on Confederate
financial instruments, their counterfeits, and their
endorsements.1,2,3,4 It is fitting, therefore, that we might
come to understand the origins of the train vignette on
the Type-39 Treasury note.
The First Series of Confederate Treasury notes were 
printed from very high quality intaglio plates in two 
colors by the National Bank Note Company and the 
American Bank Note Company in New York, but those 
firms were quickly shut down in their production of 
these notes when Federal agents seized the printing 
plates. Secretary Memminger had to make use of scarce 
Southern resources for the printing of 
Treasury notes and one of the sources 
to which he turned was the Richmond 
firm of Hoyer & Ludwig. This firm 
was founded by German lithographers 
and was at the time active in 
lithographic printing of bonds. They 
produced virtually all of the Second 
Series treasury notes, with issues 
commencing on July 29th, 1861. Their 
first essay in the Third Series was the 
lithographed $20 Type-17, first issued 
on October 22nd, 1861 with a very 
handsome green overprint.  
By the end of the Third Series it was clear to 
President Jefferson Davis that Richmond was at risk and 
he directed the several printing contractors to move their 
operations to Columbia, South Carolina. Hoyer & 
Ludwig refused to make this move, and the $100 Type-
39 notes of the Fourth Series, first issued on May 5th, 
1862, would be nearly their last major contract. Their 
last design was the $10 Type-46 note issued on June 2nd, 
1862, although they continued as Richmond printers of 
the $1 and $2 notes engraved by Keatinge & Ball until 
mid-1864.  
Figure 1.  Type-39 Treasury note with the imprint of Hoyer & Ludwig dated 
May 8th, 1862.  image: HA.com 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
116
A proof of The Bank of Port Jarvis, Haxby NY-2250 G14aP with the 
vignette at center based on Nathaniel Currier’s lithograph but now 
including telegraph poles. The vignette at left is Benjamin Loder, the 
President of the New York & Erie Railroad from 1845 to 1853.    
image: HA.com 
Vignettes of this era were used for extended times 
and by different banks in many locations. The vignette 
of the train on the Type-39 note is no exception. It first 
appears as an undated color lithograph printed by 
Nathaniel Currier sometime between 1838 and 1856.7 
There are notable differences: a bridge replaces the 
ocean scene and, most importantly, there are no 
telegraph poles at the right. Scott Currier of the Currier 
& Ives Foundation estimates that the 152 Nassau Street 
address on the original imprint was used on lithographs 
produced between 1838 and 1844.8    
Another internet source of Currier & Ives 
lithographs identified the Currier lithograph as the 
Conningham catalog No. 1790, the scene as the New 
York & Erie Railroad, and mentioned The Bank of Port 
Jervis.9 A search of the Heritage database quickly 
produced an image of a $5 Port Jervis banknote with a 
vignette obviously based on the Currier lithograph, but 
this scene includes telegraph poles, suggesting it was a 
later derivation of the Currier lithograph. The banknote 
bears the imprint of Bald, Cousland & Company, New 
York & Philadelphia, who were acquired in 1858 by the 
American Bank Note Company of New York (the 
imprint also bears the patent date of June 2nd, 1857, and 
the reddish tint is typical of notes produced by the 
ABNC). 
The vignette at left on the Port Jervis banknote is 
Benjamin Loder, President of the New York & Erie 
Railroad from 1845 to 1853. The Bank of Port Jervis 
operated legitimately from 1853 to 1865, after which it 
operated as a National bank.10 The New York & Erie 
Railroad arrived in Port Jervis in 1847 and telegraph 
arrived in 1851. The 4-4-0 class and design of the steam 
engine strongly resembles a drawing of the “Orange,” an 
engine named for Orange County, New York. The 
Orange was built by William 
Norris and delivered to the 
New York & Erie Railroad in 
1841. Nearly all details of the 
Orange match the Currier 
lithograph and the Port Jervis 
banknote vignette except the 
cab and the location of the 
safety valve. With this 
evidence we can be 
reasonably certain that the 
train vignette on the Type-39 
Confederate Treasury note is 
based on a New York railway 
with a New York steam 
engine. Haxby shows images 
of these New York banknotes with the same train 
vignette: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
        
  Bank of Canandaigua, 1854-1862 
Haxby NY-530 G8 
Bank of Newburgh, 1811-1864 
Haxby NY-1985 G140 
Bank of Port Jervis, 1853-1865 
Haxby NY-2250 G14a (no image) 
Bank of Sing Sing, 1853-1865 
Haxby NY-2580 G12a, proof, (1850s) 
 
The earliest example of the Port Jervis train vignette 
was found on an 1852 bond of The Junction Rail Road 
Company in Sandusky, Ohio, with an imprint of Snyder 
& Black, 87 Fulton, N.Y.  
The significant differences between the train 
vignette on the Confederate Treasury note and the Port 
Jervis banknote are the replacement of the bridge with an 
ocean scene and the perspective of the telegraph poles, 
where the poles are more compressed to the right in the 
New York banknote vignettes. The story started to 
emerge when the first known example with a train 
vignette identical to the Type-40 Confederate Treasury 
Benjamin Loder, President of 
the New York & Erie Railroad, 
1845-18535 
The “Orange”     image: Richard Palmer6 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
117
A train vignette from a sample proof sheet published by W. L. Ormsby in 1852, with changes made by Ormsby identical to 
those found on Type-40 Confederate Treasury notes.  image: Ashmore 
note was found on a $2 note dated 1854 and issued by 
the Crawfordsville, Logansport Northern Indiana R. R. 
Co., with an imprint of W. L. Ormsby, an engraver and 
New York printer of banknotes. (The Type-40 vignette 
differs from the Type-39 with more diffuse steam 
escaping from the boiler safety valve and a lower 
configuration to the tree at the far upper left.) 
Ormsby is the key to unlocking the origin of the 
Confederate train vignette. He wrote a book, published 
in London in 1852 by Willoughby & Co., with the 
improbably-long title of Description of the Present 
System of Bank Note Engraving, Showing Its Tendency 
to Facilitate Counterfeiting: To Which Is Added a New 
Method of Constructing Bank Notes to Prevent Forgery. 
Ormsby illustrates the Type-40 Confederate Treasury 
note vignette in this book, and on page 96, where he 
describes a sample proof sheet, Ormsby writes, “The 
vignette in the centre of the Bill, was copied from a 
Bank Note; the sea view, and the Steamer, being 
introduced instead of a Bridge.” Ormsby is likely the 
source of the Confederate train vignette; see the 
illustration of his sample proof, Rail Road Bank. 
The use in the Confederacy of the vignette based on 
the Currier lithograph extended, among other examples, 
to the Type-44 bond (and it’s B-C53 counterfeit)11 and to 
private railroads like the Virginia Central and the New 
Orleans, Jackson, & Great Northern. The train vignette 
on Hoyer & Ludwig’s $100 Treasury note is an excellent 
example of the resourcefulness of southern firms; they 
designed financial instruments with northern vignettes 
when they lacked the resources to create their own. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes: 
1.  Fricke, Pierre. Collecting Confederate Paper Money, Field Edition 
2014, Pierre Fricke, Sudbury, MA, 2014, 574pp.  
2.  Tremmel, George B. Counterfeit Confederate Currency, Whitman 
Publishing, Atlanta, GA, 2007, 331pp.  
3.  McNeil, Michael. Confederate Quartermasters, Commissaries, and 
Agents, Pierre Fricke, Sudbury, MA, 2016, 908pp. 
4.  Tremmel, George B., Fricke, Pierre, Davis, John Martin, Jr. 
Confederate Treasury Certificates, Pierre Fricke, Sudbury, MA, 2010, 
511pp. 
5.  Image: By Edward Harold Mott - Between the Ocean and the Lakes: 
The Story of Erie" (1899). p. 86, Public Domain, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31141394 
6  Image: Richard Palmer, 
http://www.alleganyhistory.org/culture/transportation/railroads/erie-
railroad/3053-orange-famous-early-locomotive-of-the-new-york-erie-
railroad, website accessed 22 November 2018. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7.  A standard reference of Currier & Ives prints by Frederic A. 
Conningham lists this lithograph as 1790, N. Currier, undated. An image 
of an original print bears the imprint of N. Currier, 152 Nassau St. cor. of 
Spruce, N.Y. Conningham notes that Currier occupied this address 
between 1838 and 1856. 
8.  Scott Currier, Currier & Ives Foundation, website: currierandives.com.  
“The ‘corner of Spruce Street’ address indicates it’s an early print from 
the 152 Nassau Street address, as that attribution was dropped in the 
early/mid 1840s. I would estimate the print in the 1838 to 1844 era.” 
9.  https://www.coxrail.com/currier/index.asp, website accessed 22 
November 2018.  
10.  Haxby James A., Obsolete Bank Notes, New York, 1782-1866, 
Krause Publications, PDF, 2009, p. 1748 (p. 353 of digital edition). 
11.  Ball, Douglas B., Simmons, Henry F., Jr., with Self, Richard and 
Desabaye, James R.  Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate 
Bonds, Second Edition, BNR Press, 2015, 304pp. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
118
From the Gilded Road: John Benjamin Burton and his Civil War Currency  
for W. E. Morgan, Clerk of Union County, El Dorado, Arkansas 
by Charles Derby 
 
 
Near the Ouachita River in the Timberlands region of 
south-central Arkansas is the town of El Dorado.1-4  It 
became the county seat of Union County in 1843, 
when county residents persuaded their commissioners 
to move the seat from Scarborough’s Landing, 
primarily because El Dorado was closer to the major 
cotton farms.  Matthew Rainey sold a ridge of land to 
the county, and commissioners adopted John 
Hampton’s suggested name for the new county seat, 
Spanish for “The Gilded Road,” in anticipation of 
prosperity.  The original town was laid out around a 
wooded area with a duck pond, and as El Dorado 
prospered, the central town was expanded in 1859.  By 
1860, Union County had become an important farming 
community with more than 12,000 residents, over half 
of them slaves, growing and selling not only cotton but 
also corn, peas, bean, and sweet potatoes.  The growth 
and relative prosperity did not last, with the coming 
civil war.  Arkansas was among the last of states to 
secede from the Union, on May 6, 1861, three months 
after the Confederacy was formed, and Arkansas 
joined the Confederacy 12 days later.  Even before the 
war began, currency was hard to come by in Arkansas, 
after the state lost trust in its banks and the state 
legislature passed a law in 1846 that prohibited the 
incorporation of banks in Arkansas.1  With the onset 
of the war, specie was almost non-existent and the 
usual sources of paper money, banks, were outlawed.  
But there was still a need for currency, so local 
communities often offered their own notes and scrip,5 
sometimes by “exchanges” of local merchants and in 
other cases by city or county governments.  What did 
El Dorado and Union County do?  From existing notes 
and scrip, we know of two solutions by them.  One was 
late in the war: notes dated March 1865 by the Union 
County treasurer that are “Receivable in Payment of 
all county Dues” (Fig. 1).   
A second set of notes and scrip exists: printed by “The 
Bulletin Office” for W. E. Morgan, and though 
undated, are thought to be from 1860-1864.5  A 10 cent 
scrip from this series is shown in Figure 2.  This article 
tells the story of these El Dorado notes and scrip. 
 
 
Figure 1.  $10 note of March 1865 from the Treasurer of Union County, El Dorado, Arkansas. 
Courtesy of Heritage Auctions. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
119
The W. E. Morgan–El Dorado Notes and Scrip 
These notes and scrip were printed for W. E. Morgan, 
who promised to pay in specific currencies when his 
money was presented at his office.  Some but not all 
of the El Dorado notes and scrip bear the imprint, 
“Printed at the “Bulletin” Office El Dorado Ark.,” 
referring to the job print office of the newspaper, The 
El Dorado Bulletin, owned and edited by John 
Benjamin Burton.  Started in 1860, The Bulletin was a 
weekly newspaper published each Thursday.  The run 
of The Bulletin was short, being discontinued near the 
beginning of the civil war when Burton joined the 
military in May 1861.  However, after Burton left, a 
printer named J. T. Osborn used the former Bulletin 
office during and briefly after the war to print a 
newspaper called The Post Boy.6 
Rothert 5 lists ten Morgan–El Dorado notes and scrip: 
R165-1 to 5 and R165-8 to 12 (the reason for the 
omission of 6 and 7 is not clear.)  I have seen one 
additional 10 cent scrip not listed in Rothert.  I list 
these 11 notes and scrip in Table 1, with their 
distinguishing features.  Based on these 
characteristics, they appear to constitute two series, 
each series with denominations of 10 cents, 25 cents, 
50 cents, $1, and $2 (Figs. 2-4).  I list R165-1 to -5 as 
series 2, since I surmise that they were printed after the 
series 1 of R-165-8 to -12 plus R165-UNL, as 
explained below.  Series 2 currency are all very 
similar, with the only difference besides denomination 
being a period after the denomination for the $1 and 
$2 notes but not the fractional.   
Series 1 currency, on the other hand, differ in a range 
of features, detailed in Table 1, including the 
following: vignettes (none used for series 2, three used 
for series 1 – eagle and flag, carte de visite, and slaves 
in the field); fonts for “W. E. Morgan;” presence or not 
of an imprint; the type of currency in which the notes 
and scrip were payable; font and presence or not of 
scroll for the serial number; and other features. 
Despite the fact that only two of the scrip, both series 
1, have an imprint (Printed at the “Bulletin” Office El 
Dorado Ark.), the series 1 and 2 notes and scrip have 
so many similarities that they must have all been 
printed at that print job office. 
Exactly when these notes were printed remains 
uncertain.  All were payable in Arkansas War Bonds, 
Treasury notes, or other current funds, and series 2 
notes were also payable in Confederate currency. 
Arkansas War Bonds were authorized by an Act of 
May 24, 1861.  Arkansas Treasury Warrants were 
authorized by Acts of November 14 and 18, 1861.  The 
first, second, and third series of Confederate notes 
were authorized by Acts of March 9th, March 16th, and 
August 19th, 1861, respectively.  Since some of these 
dates are after Burton’s May departure from The 
Bulletin and El Dorado to join the army and Osborn 
took over the print office, an argument can be made 
that some were printed later in 1861, possibly even in 
1862, by Osborn.  I hypothesize that Burton designed 
all of the Morgan currency, produced the plates, and 
printed series 1, since some bear the "Bulletin" 
imprint.  Then, after Burton’s departure, Osborn 
produced the series 2 currency from his print office, 
without the imprint of the now defunct Bulletin. 
Figure 2.  Ten cent scrip printed by The Bulletin Office of El Dorado, Arkansas, for W. E. Morgan (R165-8). 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
120
Figure 3. El Dorado scrip, series 1.  
From Heritage Auctions and Rothert.5 Figure 4. El Dorado scrip, series 2. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
121
  
Figure 5.  Excerpts from the May 9, 1861, issue of The El Dorado Bulletin, the final issue. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
122
John Benjamin Burton 
John Benjamin Burton lived an expansive life on his 
terms.9-12   He was willing to make big decisions, take 
risks, and work for what he thought was right. Burton 
was born October 22, 1836, in Drummondville (later 
Accomac), Accomack County, on Virginia’s eastern 
shore.  He was the youngest of seven children of John 
Bayly Burton (1773-1836) and Sarah Poulson Bagwell 
(1790-1840), whose deaths left young John orphaned 
by the age of four years old and without financial 
security. John, who was called “Ben” as a child 
because his father was John, was raised by his older 
sisters, friends, and relatives, and quickly became self-
reliant. He learned life at sea, as did most on Virginia’s 
eastern shore and as his father was a sea captain. At 
the age of ten, he became assistant to the county clerk 
at Accomack Court House, while also attending 
school. With the help of friend and relative Percy 
Duffield, Burton attended Princeton University13 and 
graduated with honors in Greek, Latin, and French.12 
Then, rather than choosing to return to Accomac, the 
twenty-year-old Burton, “full of ambition and hope 
and a firm belief in honesty and goodness of 
mankind,”12 chose adventure and moved west. He 
landed in Arkansas n 1856, which was “full of a rough 
element from the Eastern States – where a man, to be 
a man, must be ready to fight like the rest if he wanted 
the respect of the community where he lived.”12
Burton landed in El Dorado to become editor of the 
local newspaper,6 The El Dorado Union, which was 
established in 1846 by William H. Hines.7  In August 
1859, Burton started a new paper, The El Dorado 
Times, in partnership with Matthew Milton Barron.7 
According to Allstopp,7 “the editors complained in the 
first issue that they were unable to obtain the kind of 
type and paper ordered,” but still, “the newspaper was 
a credible one.”  But within a few months, Barron left 
the partnership and El Dorado, and in 1860, Burton 
was sole editor of a new 
newspaper, The El Dorado 
Bulletin.  Four years as 
newspaper editor in El 
Dorado gave Burton a 
central place in the El 
Dorado community, though 
it did not make him rich; in 
1860 he reported only 
$1,100 in personal estate 
and no real estate.11 The 
May 9, 1861 edition of The 
El Dorado Bulletin was an 
important one. That was the 
day that Arkansas seceded 
from the Union and joined 
the Confederacy.  The 
headline and key select 
articles in that issue are 
shown in Figure 5. Notice 
that the graphic on this issue 
is the same eagle and flag vignette that Burton used on 
the W. E. Morgan series 1 currency. In this issue of 
The Bulletin, Burton wrote that this was his last, as he 
was joining the fight for the Arkansan and Southern 
cause, and he called for others to join him:  
“Valedictory. My editorial connection with the 
Bulletin has ceased, and the time has arrived for me to 
say, farewell to its readers. Duty points to another field 
of action, and I cheerfully obey the summons….Let us 
bid defiance to the black flag of the North, and bid 
what is sacred, good and noble, that it will never wave 
in triumph over us….We the Sentinals  who will be ‘off 
to the wars’ when you read this, will endeavor to do 
our duty as soldiers.  We will add lustre to old Union 
county, or our bones will lie bleaching on the plain or 
buried in the lap of mother earth. We expect you to 
follow us.  I am done – farewell.”  
Series ID Denomination Vignette W. E. Morgan Imprint Payable in "No." "Five" case Period after Demonination at Horizontal Line
Denomination at top Vertical Left End at Denomination
1 R165‐8 10 cents Carte de visite Ornate Block "Bulletin" "Arkansas War Bond, Treasury Notes" no scroll Upper Second only No Short (to indent)
1 R165‐UNL 10 cents Eagle & Flag Ornate Block none "Arkansas War Bond, Treasury Notes" scroll Upper First only No Short (to indent)
1 R165‐9 25 cents Eagle & Flag Ornate Block "Bulletin" "Arkansas War Bond, Treasury Notes" scroll Upper Second only No Long (to margins)
1 R165‐10 50 cents Eagle & Flag Old English none "Arkansas War Bond, Treasury Notes" scroll Upper First and Second No Medium (near margins)
1 R165‐11 $1 Eagle & Flag Old English none "Arkansas War Bond, Treasury Notes, no scroll Upper Second only Yes Long (to margins)
or other currrent funds"
1 R16512 $2 Slaves in field Old English none "Arkansas War Bond, Treasury Notes, scroll Lower Second only No Medium (near margins)
or other currrent funds"
2 R165‐1 10 cents none Plain Block none "Arkansas War Bond, Treasury Notes, scroll Upper none No none
Confederate, or current funds"
2 R165‐2 25 cents none Plain Block none "Arkansas War Bond, Treasury Notes, scroll Upper none No none
Confederate, or current funds"
2 R165‐3 50 cents none Plain Block none "Arkansas War Bond, Treasury Notes, scroll Upper none No none
Confederate, or current funds"
2 R165‐4 $1 none Plain Block none "Arkansas War Bond, Treasury Notes, scroll Upper First and Second No none
Confederate, or current funds"
2 R165‐5 $2 none Plain Block none "Arkansas War Bond, Treasury Notes, scroll Upper First and Second No none
Confederate, or current funds"
Table 1. Distinctive Features of Notes from W. E. Morgan, El Dorado, Arkansas
Figure 6. Major John Benjamin
Burton. This carte-de-visite was 
made by William Brown at
Brown’s Gallery, Main Street, 
Little Rock, between 1863 & 
1865. From 8.
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
123
Burton joined the Arkansas militia in May 1861, as 
private. But given his advanced education, literacy, 
organizational skills, and energy, he was quickly 
promoted and played important roles in the Eastern 
and Western theaters for the rest of the war 13-19 (Fig. 
6). He first joined the 1st Arkansas Volunteer Infantry 
Regiment, Company A, which was the Union County 
company of volunteers raised, equipped, and 
commanded by Captain (later Colonel) Asa Stokely 
Morgan. Company A was one of ten county-based 
companies of volunteers organized into a regiment in 
Little Rock by Colonel Thompson Breckenridge 
Flournoy, and offering their services to the 
Confederacy. James Fleming Fagan (Fig. 7), captain 
of the Saline County Volunteers, was elected to lead 
the regiment. They were shipped off to Virginia, and 
Burton was promoted to captain and quartermaster of 
his regiment in June 1861. The regiment was present 
at the First Battle of Manassas on July 21, 1861, but 
its men did not engage in the fighting and could only 
watch. Burton served under Colonel (later Brig. Gen.) 
John George Walker, in the division of Brig. Gen. 
Theophilus Hunter Holmes (Fig. 7).  On January 21, 
1862, Burton was promoted to Major and 
Quartermaster of Walker’s brigade. By March, 
Holmes ordered Burton to leave the 1st Arkansas 
Volunteers and transfer to the Trans-Mississippi 
Department to serve in the Arkansas District, Little 
Rock, as Assistant Quartermaster (Fig. 8). There 
appears to have been a delay in his transfer, but he was 
fulfilling his duties in Little Rock by August 1862. In 
October, Holmes promoted Burton to Chief of 
Clothing Bureau of the Trans-Mississippi Department 
in Little Rock. By June 1, 1863, he was Purchasing 
Quartermaster and Inspector of the Quartermaster for 
the District of Arkansas of the Trans-Mississippi 
District. He served as Chief Quartermaster of the 
District of Arkansas through the end of war, under 
Gen. Holmes and Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith. For a 
time, he simultaneously served the stand-in role as 
Chief Engineer of the Arkansas district.20 Henry 
Merrell called Burton “from first to last one of the very 
best executive and administrative men in the Army.”20 
As Union forces squeezed the Confederacy and 
occupied Arkansas, by March 1865, Burton and his 
district were relocated to Shreveport. But soon after, 
Shreveport itself fell and the entire Confederacy 
capitulated. Burton surrendered, and in June 1865 was 
paroled (Fig. 8). 
After the war, Burton moved to 
New Orleans, set up an office, 
and became purchasing agent for 
Imperial Army of Mexico, which 
upon its disbandment in 1867 
Burton returned to Arkansas.8 It 
was said of Burton, “He fought 
bravely for the ‘Lost Cause,’ but 
when lost was more ready than 
most rebels to shake hands 
‘across the Chasm.’”12 He 
purchased land in Lewisville, 
Lafayette County, Arkansas, as 
an early settler to that area. He 
had a successful career as a 
lawyer, having offices in both 
Lewisville and Texarkana, 
Arkansas8 and working 
throughout southern Arkansas 
(Fig. 9). As was his nature, Burton gave back to his 
community, including serving as his district’s 
representative in the Arkansas House (1874) and 
Senate (1874-1876). 
On August 6, 1873, at the age of 36, he married Cora 
Holmes Mack, 18 years his junior (born 1854 in 
Camden, Arkansas), and they soon began raising a 
close-knit and striking family. Between 1874 and 
1884, they had six children, which John called “my 
jewels”:12 John Bayly (1874-1962), Percy Duffield 
(1876-1958, named after his benefactor in Accomac), 
Ashby Prior (1878-1963), Ralph Mack (1879-1965), 
Louise (1882-1944), and Cleveland C. (1884-1950).  
But alas, tragedy struck: at only 47 years old, still in 
the prime of his life, Burton developed cancer.  He 
traveled to Brooklyn, New York, for treatment, but 
died there of pneumonia on December 18, 1883. His 
body was returned home, and he was buried in State 
Line Cemetery in Texarkana, honored with an 
impressive memorial statue (Fig. 10). Cora honored 
Figure 7. Burton’s commanding officers. Left to Right. Col. (later Brig. Gen) James
Fleming Fagan. Brig. Gen. John George Walker. Lt. Gen. Theophilus Hunter Holmes.
Courtesy of U.S. War Records. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
124
his life and memory, stayed in Texarkana, and raised 
their children, including son Cleveland, born three 
months after John died (Fig. 11). Cora died in 1927 
in Lewisville and is buried next to John.  John 
Burton is remembered and memorialized for his 
Confederate service by having a Sons of 
Confederate Veterans camp named after him, the 
Arkansas Sons of Confederate Veterans Major John 
B. Burton Camp #1664, Texarkana.22
Figure 8. Top: letter from Major Burton as Chief of the 
Clothing Bureau of the Trans-Mississippi Department, to 
Captain Cabell, on September 1862, regarding procurement 
of clothes for troops. Bottom: June 1865, parole document for 
Major Burton, Shreveport, Louisiana. Courtesy of U.S. Civil 
War Records, Fold3.com. 
Figure 9. John Benjamin Butler, attorney in Lewisville. 
From 8 and the Washington Telegraph issue of May 8, 1872. 
Figure 10. John Benjamin Burton’s 
grave, Texarkana, Arkansas. From 8. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
125
J. T. Osborn
J. T. Osborn was born in Georgia ca. 1837.  By age 23, 
he was a printer in La Fayette, Chambers County, 
Alabama, living in the house of James Jones 
McLemore and printing for McLemore’s 
newspapers.10 McLemore (1831-1882), from an 
influential family, was a planter and editor of the 
Opposition Paper in 1860, The Southern Sentinel in 
1861, and The Chambers Tribune in 1863.6,7,10, Osborn 
must have left McLemore and Alabama by 1861 to 
take over Burton’s job print office, where he worked 
during and after the war at least through 1865.6,7  By 
1870, Osborn was printing in Camden, Ouachita 
County, Arkansas, married to Sarah (Sarah Jane 
Wells, 1843-1929, born in Old Choctaw Corner, near 
Thomasville, Alabama, grew up and died in Clarke 
County, Alabama) and with two young daughters 
(Alice Irene born in 1864, and Emma born in 1866).10  
The ultimate fate of Osborn is uncertain to me, but I 
believe he is the 43 year old “J. T. Osborne” from 
Georgia who died on October 4 in the 1878 yellow 
fever epidemic in New Orleans.23
Washington E. Morgan 
The El Dorado currency of interest were printed for 
and signed by W. E. Morgan.  He was Washington E. 
Morgan, born in 1811 in South Carolina.10,11  He 
married Sarah Anah Elizabeth Stevens Morgan (born 
Feb 26, 1826) in Troup County, Georgia, in 1844 
when he was 33 years old and Sarah 17 years old. 
Morgan purchased 160 acres of land in El Dorado in 
November of 1848,24 where he and Sarah built their 
home. They had several children, two who lived into 
adulthood: Bernice (Berry) W. Morgan Graham 
(1853-1883), and William Wright Morgan (1856-
1921). W. E. Morgan was a planter, starting off 
modestly but in time becoming quite successful.  In 
1850, he owned only $500 in real estate, but by 1860, 
he owned $3,500 in real estate, $6,000 in personal 
estate, and six slaves.11 Morgan joined in the war 
effort, but he was 50 years old when it began, so rather 
than serving in the regular army, he joined the El 
Dorado Township Home Guard, beginning July 
1861.25   Sarah lived a long life, dying in 1891 in El 
Dorado; she is buried in Presbyterian Cemetery. The 
fate of Washington is less clear, but he probably died 
between 1864 and 1870. 
Morgan Issued the El Dorado Currency as Clerk of 
Union County 
Why was W. E. Morgan’s name on these El Dorado 
currency?  Some merchants issued currency, but rarely 
did planters. The notes and scrip bear the text, “W. E. 
Morgan will pay at his Office El Dorado Arkansas,” 
but as a planter, Morgan would not have needed an 
office to redeem the currency.  The answer lies in his 
civil service:  Morgan was clerk of Union County in 
1854-1856 and 1860-1864.25 Thus, when these notes 
and scrip were printed, Morgan was responsible for 
collecting county taxes, debts, and such. Thus, the W. 
E. Morgan currency is a predecessor of the county
treasurer notes issued in 1865 and illustrated in Figure
1, and Morgan signed his notes and scrip in the same
capacity as Parks Beeman (1805-1873) signed the
1865 notes: as county clerk of Union County.26 
Figure 11. Burton’s family.  Left: home of John and Cora in Texarkana. Center: Burton family photo of February 22, 
1903. Clockwise from left front: son Percy Duffield Burton; wife Cora Mack Burton; son Ralph Burton; son Ashby 
Burton; son John Bayly Burton; daughter Louise Burton. Right: Cora Burton.  From 8 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
126
References and Notes 
1 Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, Central Arkansas Library System, Little Rock. 
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net  
2 Cordell, Anna Harmon. 1984. Dates and Data of Union County Arkansas, 1541–1948. Century Printing and Publishing Co., Monroe, 
Arkansas. 
3 Green, Juanita Whitaker. 1954. The History of Union County Arkansas. Union County, Arkansas. 
4 Tracks and Traces. 1977. Union County Genealogical Society, El Dorado, Arkansas. 
5 Rothert, Matt Sr. 1985. Arkansas Obsolete Notes and Scrip. The Society of Paper Money Collectors, Inc. 
6 Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Southern Arkansas. 1890. Goodspeed Publishing Co., Southern Historical Press, Chicago, Nashville, 
and St. Louis. 
7 Allsopp, Fred William. 1922. History of the Arkansas Press for a Hundred Years and More. Parke-Harper Publishing. 
8 Matthew Milton Barron (1829-1895), like Burton, moved to El Dorado to run a newspaper and lived there only briefly. Barron was born in 
Clinton, Georgia. He lived in Randolph County, Alabama, by 1850, where he married Eliza Anne Stephens (1836-1897) in 1851 and had five 
children over the next six years. He moved to El Dorado by 1859 and was working with Burton on The El Dorado Times, and had a son born 
in Little Rock in 1860. He left Arkansas soon thereafter, even before he sold his house: the advertisement for a “House and Lot for Sale” in the 
May 9, 1861, issue of The El Dorado Bulletin, shown to the right, was for his house. Barron joined the war in April 22, 1862, in Louina, 
Randolph County, Alabama, enlisting into Company K of the 46th Alabama Infantry Regiment, at the rank of Sargent. He was captured at 
Vicksburg, Mississippi, July 4, 1863, and was paroled. He returned to Louina and had four more children. By 1870, he had moved to Newnan, 
Georgia, by 1870, and lived there until his death in 1895. He is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Newnan, Georgia.8-10 
9 Documents kindly provided by Charles Walthall and courtesy of the John B. Burton family 
10  Ancestry.com 
11  U.S. Censuses 
12  Letter dated September 24, 1886, from Cora Mack Burton in Accomack, Virginia, to her children in Lewisville, Arkansas (provided by 
Charles Walthall courtesy of the J. B. Burton family) 
13 General Catalogue of Princeton University: 1746-1906. Published by Princeton University, 1908. 
14 Krick, Robert E. L. 2003. Staff Officers in Gray: A Biographical Register of the Staff Officers in the Army of Northern Virginia. University 
of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill. 
15 Wyllie, Arthur. 2007. Confederate Officers. Lulu.com. 
16 U. S. Military war records. Accessed through Fold3 
17 Congressional Edition, Volume 3968. U. S. Government Printing Office, 1900. 
18 http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/ First Arkansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment (CS) 
19 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Arkansas_Infantry_Regiment 
20 http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/National-Register-Listings/PDF/LA0008.nr.pdf 
21 Merrell, Henry. 1991. The Autobiography of Henry Merrell: Industrial Missionary to the South. Edited by James L. Skinner, University of 
Georgia Press, Athens. 
22 ardvscv.tripod.com/camps.html 
23 Official Report of the Deaths from Yellow Fever, as Reported by the New Orleans Board of Health, Epidemic of 1878. W. L. Murray’s 
Publishing House and Newspaper Advertising Agency, New Orleans. 1879. 
24 U.S. General Land Office Records, 1776-2015 (accessed through Ancestry.com),\ 
25 Union County, Arkansas, County Court Record Book E, pages 632–643, recorded between 8 July 1861 and 23 Oct 1861. El Dorado 
Township Home Guard. Thursday July 18th, 1861 (p. 635). 
26 The Historical Report of the Arkansas Secretary of State 2009. University of Arkansas Press, Little Rock. 
Acknowledgment. This work would not have been possible without the generous assistance of Charles Walthall and 
the John B. Burton family.  They provided records, photographs, and insight into Burton, allowing his nature and 
accomplishments to be portrayed here.  I am deeply indebted to their generosity. I also thank Bill Gunther and Rodney 
Kelley for their helpful comments about the manuscript. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
127
Central States 
Numismatic Society
78th Anniversary Convention
April 24-27, 2018
(Bourse Hours – April 24 – 12 noon-6pm 
Early Birds:  $125 Registration Fee)
Schaumburg, IL
Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel  & 
Convention Center
Visit our website:
www.centralstates.info
Bourse Information: Patricia Foley
(414) 698-6498 • foleylawoffice@gmail.com
Hotel Reservations:
Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel - 1551 North Thoreau Drive • Call (847) 303-4100 
Ask for the “Central States Numismatic Society” Convention Rate.
Problems booking? - Call Convention Chairman Kevin Foley at (414) 807-0116
 Free Hotel Guest and Visitor Parking.
• Numismatic Educational Forum
• Educational Exhibits
• 300 Booth Bourse Area
• Heritage Coin Signature Sale
• Heritage Currency Signature Sale
• Educational Programs
• Club and Society Meetings
• Free Hotel Guest and Visitor Parking
• Complimentary Public Admission:
Thursday-Friday-Saturday
No Pesky 
Sales Tax in 
Illinois
An Introduction to the Coupon System of the United 
Cigar Stores Company, 1901-1929 
by Loren Gatch 
Beginning in the late nineteenth century 
and into the first third of the twentieth, premium 
coupons became a popular marketing device for 
both manufacturers and retailers of various 
consumer goods. Under these coupon plans, 
businesses would issue coupons accompanying 
the sale of products which could then be 
redeemed for selected premium items, typically 
listed in published catalogs with ‘prices’ quoted 
in terms of the number of coupons required for a 
given item. Coupon savers could either redeem 
them by mail, or spend them at designated 
premium stores (often called “stations” or 
“parlors”). In the marketing language of the time, 
these programs were styled as “profit sharing” 
enterprises, implying that, by amassing and 
redeeming coupons, shoppers were partaking of 
the producers' or retailers’ profits in exchange 
for the loyalty of their patronage. 
Of the various schemes that were afloat 
during this era, this article introduces the coupon 
system operated by the United Cigar Stores 
Company. An early example of chain store 
retailing, United Cigar attracted notoriety partly 
because of its association with James B. Duke’s 
American Tobacco Company--the much-
vilified “Tobacco Trust” broken up by the 
Supreme Court in 1911. United Cigar’s 
aggressive expansion strategy across the United 
States proved disruptive to a retail environment 
typified by small-scale, independent 
tobacconists. In particular, United Cigar’s early 
commercial success was often ascribed to its 
coupon system, whose extent and popularity 
few tobacconists could match. 
Unlike coupons of our time, which 
usually must be clipped from product 
packaging, newspaper inserts or magazine ads, 
and which are otherwise dull and utilitarian in 
appearance, coupons of this earlier period could 
be quite ornate. Often manufactured by security 
printing companies using safety paper, these 
attractive freestanding coupons came in a variety 
of sizes, colors, and denominations, and had the 
appearance of a corporate currency. Indeed, 
coupon plans like United Cigar’s operated on 
such a large scale that they did create a kind of 
premium economy parallel to that based on cash 
transactions, with millions of coupon savers 
accumulating the wherewithal to exchange for 
desirable catalog listings. 
Despite the widespread availability of 
these coupons to modern collectors, little 
systematic research has been published on the 
types and varieties of this class of inexpensive 
ephemera. This article introduces United Cigar’s 
coupon system by surveying its basic history and 
the denominational structure of its various issues. 
It does not try to document their many varieties, 
either in the United States or Canada. Nor does it 
include the extensive issues of the United Profit-
Sharing Company, an affiliate set up by United 
Cigar in 1914 to sell its premium marketing 
services to other manufacturers and retailers. 
Likewise, it does not include the issues of the 
Mutual-Profit Coupon Corporation, an affiliate of 
the A. Schulte Cigar Stores, which competed with 
United Cigars until the two chains formed an 
alliance in the mid-1920s. 
A period advertisement featuring a United Cigar 
store, with its iconic shield logo 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
129
Origins of the United Cigar Stores Company 
Founded by George and Charles Whelan, 
brothers originally from Syracuse who had run a 
small chain of cigar stores there, the New York 
City-based United Cigar Stores became affiliated 
with the Duke interests in 1902 and represented 
the Tobacco Trust’s attempt at forward 
integration into the retail end of the tobacco 
industry. Even in their early Syracuse days, the 
Whelans employed coupons as an inducement 
for their customers to pay in cash, rather than 
purchase on credit. From a modest premium list 
of fifteen items, the Whelans graduated to their 
first premium catalog by 1901, their first year in 
New York City. In 1907, United Cigar put out 
more than a million copies of its first illustrated 
catalog, and six million by 1915. 
Beyond their aggressive use of coupons, 
the Whelans’ early success was due to their 
application of chain-store methods to a market 
that was highly fragmented and hidebound. 
Indeed, United Cigar was one of the first 
examples of a retail enterprise that branded itself 
by stressing a high and standardized level of 
customer service across its burgeoning chain of 
stores. Selling large quantities of tobacco 
merchandise on low margins required timely and 
accurate information flows about consumer 
preferences and store inventories. The brothers 
also had a canny eye for real estate locations, 
which, however expensive, would maximize 
customer traffic. 
As coupon use throughout American 
retailing became more widespread, public debate 
arose over whether or not coupons represented 
unfair competition. Beginning in the late 19th 
century, states were beginning to pass legislation 
that sought to regulate or even suppress premium 
schemes. Like other coupon issuers, United Cigar 
had to abide by or adapt to states’ restrictions. 
The Supreme Court’s decision to dissolve the 
Tobacco Trust in May 1911 spun off the United 
Cigar Stores Company as a separate business. By 
1914 United Cigar was the largest chain store in 
country, notorious for its rapid expansion into 
cities where independent tobacconists could not 
match its prices or level of service. “No one can 
deny”, marveled the Wall Street Journal, “that 
the management of United Cigar Stores is of the 
strictly, up-to-the-newest wrinkle, American 
commercial type. The thousands of salesmen in 
the stores are drilled like the soldiers of an army. 
They are taught politeness, cleanliness, 
alertness.” 
 United Cigar’s monthly in-house 
magazine, The United Shield, ever solicitous of 
its employees’ esprit de corps, incessantly 
admonished them to maintain consistent and high 
levels of customer service.  In the public mind, 
the fortunes of United Cigar were particularly 
connected with its coupon program, and indeed 
with the stereotype that wives would hector their 
husbands to indulge their tobacco habits in order 
to get at the coupons. As an early, admiring 
profile of the company concluded, “premiums… 
have succeeded, not so much that they have 
captured the man who smokes, as that they have 
snared the woman behind him.”  
An early coupon used by the Whelan brothers, before 
establishing United Cigar 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
130
United Cigar’s Coupon System 
At their first issue, United Cigar’s 
coupons originally could be redeemed for a 
premium list so short that it could be printed on 
the coupon itself. By the end of the decade, 
United Cigar’s premium list had expanded into a 
36-page catalog, divided into men’s and women’s
departments, that offered branded products as
premiums for coupons redeemable either at
dedicated redemption centers in major cities or by
mail at the company’s central redemption offices
in New York City.
United Cigar’s coupon 
“counting room” at the New York 
office grew from 6 employees in 
1902 to 110 in 1914, and by then 
that office alone was processing 3 
million coupons a day. The scale 
of United Cigar’s premium 
program was far beyond the 
capabilities of smaller retailers, 
who bitterly resented their 
competitive disadvantage. 
Opposition to the kind of premium 
marketing practiced by United 
Cigar came from retail merchants’ 
associations, chambers of 
commerce, and newspaper 
publishers, all of whom objected 
to premium systems—trading 
stamps as well as coupons—for 
the expenses they imposed upon 
their members (or the advertising 
outlays that they reduced). 
After United Cigar’s 
spinoff from the Tobacco Trust, 
the Whelans established in early 
1914 the United Profit-Sharing 
Corporation. United Profit-
Sharing would issue its own 
coupons and operate its own 
redemption parlors. The plan was 
for United Cigar to transfer its 
coupon business to the new 
company, thus shielding itself 
from some of the opposition to its 
in-house coupon system. Some 
United Profit-Sharing coupons do 
indeed exist with a “United Cigar 
Stores Co.” overprint. However, the tobacco 
chain continued to issue its own catalogs and 
coupons, though the two entities did share the 
same corporate headquarters at 18 West 44th 
Street in New York City. In the last-published 
United Cigar catalog of 1928-29, an illustration 
of the storefront of the company’s Main Premium 
Station at 537 Fifth Avenue between 44th and 45th 
Streets depicts window lettering that places 
United Profit-Sharing’s redemption offices on the 
top floor of the same building. 
In the popular imagination, women lay behind the coupon craze 
in both working-class (above) and middle-class (below) American 
households (Pearson’s Magazine, 1909). 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
131
Basic Coupon 
Denominations 
and Varieties 
 Like other 
coupon users of this 
era, United Cigars 
issued customers 
one coupon for 
each five cents 
spent. Five 
coupons were the 
equivalent of one 
certificate (for a 25 
cent purchase). 
Since its catalogs 
quoted premium 
redemption values 
in terms of 
certificates, it is 
intuitive to array 
the denominations 
used by United 
Cigar above and 
below this value. 
Accordingly, 
United Cigar’s 
coupon (cash and 
non-cash) and 
certificate 
denominations can 
be listed in terms of 
the denomination 
as printed, their 
common equivalent in coupons, and the amount 
of the cash purchase to which they corresponded. 
Over the years, United Cigar issued coupons 
denominated in cents (corresponding to the 
amount of the original purchase) in “coupons” 
(for a five cent purchase), and in “certificates” 
(for a 25 cent purchase, and multiples thereof). 
Premiums available in the catalogs were always 
priced in terms of “certificates” (see table). 
Except for the ½, 1, and 2 coupon denominations, 
coupons and certificates were serial-numbered. 
While in the earliest years of coupon issuance no 
printer imprint appears, later varieties bear the 
imprint of the American Bank Note Co., M.B. 
Brown Printing and Binding Co. of New York 
City, and Eureka Specialty Printing Co., of 
Scranton, Pennsylvania, in that chronological 
order. 
United Cigar Coupon/Certificate Denominations 
Denomination 
 as printed 
Equivalent 
in coupons 
Cash purchase 
equivalent 
½ coupon 
5¢ / 1 coupon 
¼ certificate 
10¢ / 2 coupons 
12 ½ ¢ / ½ certificate 
20¢ / 4 coupons 
1 certificate 
2 certificates 
4 certificates 
5 certificates 
8 certificates 
10 certificates 
½ coupon 
1 coupon 
1 ¼ coupons 
2 coupons 
2 ½ coupons 
4 coupons 
5 coupons 
10 coupons 
20 coupons 
25 coupons 
40 coupons 
50 coupons 
2 ½ cents 
5 cents 
6 ¼ cents 
10 cents 
12 ½ cents 
20 cents 
25 cents 
50 cents 
1 dollar 
1 ¼ dollars 
2 dollars 
2 ½ dollars 
Changes in arrangement and wording found on 
coupons and certificates for the most part reflect 
the transition from one printer to another. In 
addition, varieties exist with the overprints “W”, 
“P”, and the word “Exchange”, mostly in red, for 
purposes that remain unclear. Yet other varieties 
of coupons and certificates exist that reflect 
United Cigar’s attempt to comply with laws in 
several states that required cash redemption in 
some fashion. As a chain store operating across 
the United States in multiple jurisdictions, United 
Cigar was obliged to adjust where it could its 
premium practices to variations in the law. 
A few coupons don’t fit into the 5 
coupons = 1 certificate = 25¢ cash purchase 
equivalence.  For that reason, they aren’t included 
in the table above. For example, a 12 ½ ¢ cash 
coupon was issued that simply granted customers 
a discount towards the purchase of a humidor. 
Likewise, another exception, a 10-certificate 
“order” issued on United Cigar Day (printed by 
M. B. Brown, and with an expiration date of July
31, 1918) entitled the purchaser of a dollar’s
worth of cigars to a premium value that would
otherwise have required a $2.50 purchase,
according the normal certificate valuations.
As America was drawn into World War 
I, United Cigar threw itself into patriotic efforts 
on the home front, and accepted coupon 
donations from its customers to fund shipments 
of cigarettes to servicemen, with the goal of 
“smoking out the Kaiser”. Some cigar coupons 
United Cigar’s “Profit-
Sharing Girl” promoted coupon 
use by wearing a dress adorned 
with them (United Shield, Dec. 
1914). 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
132
and certificates even migrated to Europe, where 
enterprising doughboys took advantage of the 
color similarity between the one-certificate 
denomination and certain French banknotes to 
pass their cigar certificates off as currency to the 
unwary. Whatever were the other effects of that 
monumental conflict, it created a generation of 
nicotine addicts (and, later, lung cancer victims) 
as American servicemen returned home hooked 
on smoking. 
 After the war, and for the next decade, 
both United Cigar’s and United Profit-Sharing’s 
premium businesses operated in parallel, sharing 
redemption facilities. Throughout the 1920s, the 
premium catalogs of both companies offered 
cross-redemption of United Profit-Sharing and 
United Cigar coupons, as well as those of United 
Happiness Candy Stores, a chain of confectionary 
stores within the Whelans’ holdings.  
A recurrent feature of the tobacco retail 
business during the postwar years was the price 
wars between United Cigar and a rival chain, the 
New York-based A. Schulte Cigar Stores, run by 
David A. Schulte. Though by far the smaller 
chain, Schulte represented a scrappy competitor 
who followed an expansion strategy similar to the 
Whelans’, which included a penchant for real 
estate dealing and even the establishment of 
Schulte’s own premium marketing affiliate, the 
Mutual-Profit Coupon Corporation. Despite their 
rivalry, the Whelan and Schulte interests 
conducted off-and-on negotiations to reach some 
sort of peace, resulting in a merging of their 
interests in December 1926, followed by the 
establishment of a joint retail venture, the 
Schulte-United 5¢ to $1.00 Stores, in January 
1928. After 1926, Schulte Cigars became a client 
of the United Profit-Sharing premium plan, 
substituting its coupons for those of the Mutual-
Profit Coupon Co. By the end of the decade, the 
United Cigar chain extended across the country 
to include over 3000 stores and affiliated 
agencies. 
The onset of Great Depression delivered 
a body blow to the Whelans’ interests, leading to 
their bankruptcy and the reorganization of the 
cigar chain by 1932. Even before that, however, 
competition from other chain stores put an end to 
United Cigar’s coupon activities. Ironically, even 
as United Cigar had proved such a disruptive 
competitor to independent tobacconists, the 
spread of the chain store model into other retail 
lines led to intense price pressures on tobacco 
products, which general retailers discounted as 
loss-leaders. Constant discounting forced United 
Cigar to abandon its premium coupon program in 
1929. The company promised to redeem its 
outstanding coupons for the next ten years 
through the offices of its United Profit-Sharing 
affiliate, which not only survived the downturn of 
the 1930s but also continued selling its premium 
marketing services to other businesses until the 
late 1950s.
REFERENCES 
Cherrington, Paul Terry, Advertising as a Business Force (Doubleday, Page & Co. 1913). 
Cox, Reavis, Competition in the American Tobacco Industry 1911-1932 (Columbia University Press 1933). 
Gillmore,  Rufus H., “The Method Behind the Smoker’s Coupon” Pearson’s Magazine (October 1909), pp. 
482-490.
Gittleman, Karl B. “An Examination of the Growth and Development of the Premium Industry in the United 
States in  Terms of Micro-Economic Theory”( PhD Dissertation, New York University 1974), ch. 2. 
Lebhar, Godfrey M. Chain Stores in America 1859-1959 (New York: Chain Store Publishing Corporation 
1959) 
United Cigar Stores Premium Catalog, 1928-29. 
United Shield (various dates). 
U. S. Bureau of Corporations, Report of the Commissioner of Corporations on the Tobacco Industry, Part 
I (Washington, D.C.: GPO 1909). 
Wall Street Journal, May 8, 1911. 
Zimmerman, M. M., The Challenge of Chain Store Distribution (New York and London: Harper & Brothers 
1931). 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
133
Late-Numbered $1 Series of 1917 
Legal Tender KA-Block Fr 37a Error 
One of the most fun collectable 20th century low-denomination type note varieties that has 
been found is the $1 Series of 1917 legal tender error where the position of the names and titles of 
Register of the Treasury William S. Elliott and Treasurer John Burke were switched. The mistake 
was made on all four positions by siderographer John C. Rout as he laid the signatures into the 
plate. The rolls he used contained both the signature and title for each signer so the mistake was in 
simply switching them. It was not noticed by plate finisher Thomas B. Jones Sr., who was the last 
person to work on the plate, or any of the plate inspectors so the plate was certified as perfect by 
BEP director James L. Wilmeth on August 24, 1920. 
The plate bore Treasury plate number 71506 in the top margin and plate serial number1519 
on each subject. It was sent to press September 3-29, 1920 to create Fr. 37a and was canceled 
September 30th. Production from it progressed to the numbering division and was numbered in 
normal sequence in the low HA block. The reported range of serial numbers as of the 2014 
Gengerke census was H5917673A-H17592992A. 
However, a truly exotic specimen was discovered in 1987 by Tom Denly that bore way-
out-of-range serial K29666226A, the only specimen ever discovered from the KA block. This 
serial is over 110 million higher than its siblings. 
The exotic was not the result of some peculiar use of the plate at some late date. The plate 
had long before been canceled by the time the KA block was numbered. 
The most logical explanation for its occurrence was that the sheet from which it was cut 
resided in a small stockpile that was finally retrieved and numbered many months after its siblings. 
Doug Murray justifiably calls it a late numbered note. 
The fact that it is the only such specimen reported from the KA block of this highly visible 
error hints that the size of the stockpile was small. 
Figure 1. This is the only reported Fr 37a $1 Legal Tender note from the KA serial number block. 
The Fr 37a variety was printed from plate serial number 1519 on which the siderographer 
switched the positions of Treasury signers Elliott and Burke along with their titles. Doug Murray 
photo. 
The Paper 
Column 
by 
Peter Huntoon 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
134
Figure 2. Top and bottom subjects from the certified proof of plate 71506-1519 with BEP Director 
James L. Wilmeth’s signature. The initials of siderographer John C. Rout are in the upper left 
corner and plate finisher Thomas B. Jones in the lower left corner. 
Figure 3. The other reported Fr 37a specimens were numbered early in the HA serial number 
block. Heritage Auction Archives photo.   
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
135
$   m   a   l   l         n   o   t   e   $   
Two $5 Master Plate Proofs 
By Jamie Yakes 
Steel intaglio master plates comprised 
the foundation for early electrolytic 
platemaking. The Bureau of Engraving and 
Printing (BEP) reproduced each subject on the 
master from a steel master die by traditional roll-
transfer technology. They then produced an 
electrolytic master from the steel master, and 
then duplicated production plates en masse from 
the electrolytic master. The BEP made proofs all 
finished production plates, but not all master 
plates. Fortunately, they proofed two $5 master 
backs: plate 114512 in 1928 and plate 384 in 
1930 (Fig. 1). 
Electrolytic Plates 
The invention of electrolytic 
platemaking at the BEP in 1911, and 
commercial-scale use beginning in 1921, relied 
on the use of steel master intaglio plates as the 
templates from which electrolytic production 
plates ultimately were reproduced.1,2 In 
electrolytic platemaking, the BEP submerged an 
electrically-charged steel intaglio plate into a 
chemical bath containing solubilized nickel. The 
nickel deposited on the master, and the form 
created and separated was called an alto, which 
was a perfect mold of the master. They put the 
alto through an identical process to produce a 
basso that was a perfect replica of the master. 
They finished most bassos as production plates 
by having plate serial numbers added, but 
reserved some reserved as master plates. 
The BEP created the originating steel 
master plate by transferring to it the intaglio 
image from a master die using a steel transfer 
roll. The roll consisted of a soft steel cylinder 
that was rolled back and forth over the hardened 
die until the intaglio image on the die 
completely transferred in relief on the surface of 
the roll. They hardened the roll and used to 
impress the image onto the master plate as many 
times as required. 
Figure 1. One and the same?! Shown are $5 back plates 114512 (top) and 384 (bottom), 
two master plates made in the late 1920s/early 1930s. Notice they do not have plate 
serials, which on $5 backs appeared in the white field to the right of S in DOLLARS. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
136
They composed master dies by the same 
technology, by transferring engraved elements 
from component dies onto the master die using 
the roll-transfer process to construct the image. 
The component dies consisted of hand- or 
machine-engraved elements, such as portraits, 
lettering, border elements, etc. 
Siderographers, the men who operated 
the transfer presses, used the same $5 master 
back die—no. 274 made in early 1928—to 
transfer each of the 12 subjects on master plates 
114512 and 384. Plate 114512 was made in 
June-July 1928, whereas plate 384 was made in 
February-March 1930.  
Small-Size Plate Numbers in 1928-29 
BEP plates generally carry two 
numbers: a treasury plate number that appears in 
the margin of the plate, and a plate serial number 
that is internal to the notes replicated from each 
subject. Treasury plate numbers were omnibus 
sequences that threaded through all kinds of 
plates made for the Treasury Department, 
including bonds, currency, and revenue stamps. 
They appeared on the selvage of sheets and were 
trimmed away prior to serial numbering. In 
contrast, plate serial numbers were from sets of 
consecutive numbers assigned to specific classes 
and denominations, and the faces used different 
sets than backs. They appeared on printed notes. 
 Numbers 114512 and 384 are both 
treasury plate numbers; they differ in magnitude 
because they came from different sets of 
numbers. Number 114512 is from a set the BEP 
begun in 1886 with large-size currency. Number 
384 is from a new set they started in July 1929 
reserved for small size $5 and higher 
denomination back plates.  
They BEP assigned new treasury plate 
number 1 to a $5 back they certified on July 24, 
1929 (Fig x). Plate 384 came the following year. 
Just to make things confusing, they created a 
third set of treasury plate numbers in 1914 used 
only for Federal Reserve note faces and backs 
that continued into the small size era. 
The BEP did not assign plate serial 
numbers to large-size master plates, a practice 
that persisted for a short time into the early small 
note era. Consequently, master 114512 was not 
assigned a plate serial number, but master 384 
was assigned plate serial number 172. 
$5 Masters 114512 and 384 
Plate 114512 was the first small-size $5 
back plate made by the BEP. A 12-subject steel 
intaglio master plate was proofed July 24, 1928. 
They used electrolytic altos made from it to 
make production plates until 1929. They did not 
certify it as a production plate and canceled it 
May 24, 1930. 
They began one of the electrolytic 
bassos made from 114512 on November 1, 1928 
and assigned it treasury plate number 116108. 
They used it as an electrolytic master from 
October 1929 to January 1930 to make seven 
altos. Those altos plus altos made from 114512 
were used to make $5 backs 1-171 from July 5, 
1929 until February 11, 1930. 
The BEP then certified 116108 with 
serial 133 on May 23, 1930, sent it to press over 
the next few months, and canceled it August 19. 
On February 21, 1930, they began $5 
steel plate 384 and assigned it plate serial 
number 172 and proofed it on May 12. It 
replaced 116108 as the $5 master plate and was 
used to produce three altos in March and April. 
The BEP used one alto to make bassos 484 and 
494 in May and 558 in September. They used 
altos from all three bassos alongside the altos 
from basso 116108 and older altos from 114512 
to produce $5 production plates until 1931. 
From then until 1934, basso 558 became the sole 
source for $5 altos and subsequent production 
plates. 
Master 384 and all bassos sourced from 
it were old-gauge plates, meaning they had 
narrow vertical separations between the subjects. 
The narrow spacing resulted in tight margins on 
cut notes, which resulted in unacceptable 
spoilage rates. 
 The BEP started making new-gauge 
plates with wider margins for all denominations 
beginning in 1934. That required preparation of 
a new-gauge $5 steel master assigned plate 
number 1427/plate serial number 630 when it 
was made in late 1935, from $5 back master roll 
no. 274.  
Once a sufficient supply of the new 
gauge plates became available, the use of the old 
gauge plates ceased because they were a 
nuisance. The Bureau canceled a slew of them 
that had never been used along with master 384. 
That plate they canceled March 20, 1935. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
137
$5 Master 1442 
The BEP used an alto made in 1935 
from steel master 630 to produce a basso they 
assigned Treasury plate number 1442 and plate 
serial number 637. This became the most 
renowned of small size plates—$5 micro back 
637. At the time it was made it had no engraved 
plate serials, which was normal for a master 
plate. They used it as the only $5 master basso 
for the next eight years.
Every $5 back plate made from 1935 
until the narrow backs came along in 1951 was 
fathered by an alto made from 637.3 The BEP 
ultimately made plate 637 into a production 
plate by adding its plate serial numbers and 
certify it on November 10, 1944. It then served 
16 press hitches between 1945 and 1949 where 
it created rare and wonderful non-mule and mule 
varieties in every class of $5 note. They 
canceled it on June 16, 1949.4 
Notes 
1. Huntoon, Peter. “Invention and evolution of
electrolytic plate making at the Bureau of 
Engraving and Printing.” Paper Money 55, 
no. 1 (2016 Jan/Feb): 4-17.  
2. Although electrolytic plate production would
become the predominant method of plate 
production, the BEP continued to make steel 
intaglio production plates, especially for 
higher denominations and other infrequently 
used types. 
3. Yakes, Jamie. “The Extraordinary First Ten Years
of Micro Back 637.” Paper Money 55, no. 3 
(2016, May/Jun): 212-215. 
4. Huntoon, Peter. “The enduring allure of $5 micro
back plates 629 and 637.” Paper Money 54, 
no. 5 (2015, Sep/Oct): 304-326. 
Sources of Data 
U. S. Treasury. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. 
“Ledgers Pertaining to Plates, Rolls and 
Dies, 1870s-1960s.” Volumes 42, 43, 135, 
139, 143, and 144. Record Group 318: 
Records of the Bureau of Engraving and 
Printing. National Archives and Records 
Administration, College Park, Maryland. 
Call for Papers 
International Paper Money Show 
IPMS-KC is the paper money speaking 
event of the year!  Gain the cachet of giving 
your great presentation at the IPMS! 
Show information can be found at:  
http://www.ipmskansascity.com 
We invite presentations on any fiscal paper 
or fiscal paper tie-in topic. We will have a 
packed program. We always want new 
speakers with new topics! Please pass this 
on to anyone you think might want to 
contribute. 
Deadline for submissions is April 1, 2019 
Talks are scheduled on Friday and Saturday 
(June 14 & 15) on the hour. Each speaker is 
allotted 50 minutes, which includes time for 
questions.  
Use PowerPoint for your visuals unless prior 
arrangements are made. Lavishly illustrate 
your talk. Bring your own laptop or submit a 
disk or thumb drive with your presentation 
to Peter Huntoon in advance of the show. 
You are encouraged to mount a parallel 
exhibit in the exhibition area.  
Application requirements: 
(1)  list of presenter(s) with contact 
information for each, 
(2)  title of talk, 
(3)  concise two or three sentence 
newsworthy description of the content of 
your talk, 
(4)  advise if you need up to three display 
cases for show-and-tell items at the talk. 
Send applications to 
peterhuntoon@outlook.com 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
138
 
 
The State of Cash 
One thing I inherited from my dad (other 
than prematurely grey hair), is a tendency to express 
my feelings by attempting to be useful in small ways. 
I find that easier than actually trying to be an 
emotionally articulate person. Cars provide good 
opportunities for this, whether it’s topping off the air 
in my daughter’s tires or filling the tank. Recently my 
wife had to take a short business trip to Chicago. As 
she was bustling about, getting ready to go to the 
airport, I chirped up helpfully, “hey, do you want me 
to go get you some cash?” For a moment, she looked 
at me blankly, as if I had asked her whether she 
wanted a rubber duck for her carry-on bag. Then, a 
slight smirk of realization slowly broke out at the 
corners of her mouth, as if to say—Oh, you want to 
get me some of that—PAPER MONEY—and she 
replied quickly, “Nah, I’ll just put everything on 
plastic.” 
It doesn’t exactly rise to the level of a family 
argument, but my wife and I do differ about the role 
of cash in our lives. She takes malicious joy in 
minimizing its use, whereas I remain a sentimental 
holdout for those dwindling occasions to spend real 
simoleons. My daughter, who uses physical currency 
at least to play alongside the sharp-elbowed ladies at 
church bingo night, is otherwise indifferent on the 
issue. Opportunities to spend the real deal can still be 
found, of course, but the sheer bother of planning to 
carry cash around suggests a tipping point: retail 
establishments go cashless because of declining 
public use of it, prompting the public to demand less 
cash because there are fewer places to spend it. 
A recent, sobering article in the Wall Street 
Journal on kids and cash highlighted the scope of the 
problem. In a world where the Game of Monopoly 
has gone cashless and Girl Scout Cookies are bought 
online, even children prefer to swipe a debit or gift 
card rather than wrap their little minds around what 
to do with a nice, crisp piece of currency. I also 
wonder whether those counterfeiting reports that 
actually involve people being fooled by motion 
picture money, or even Chinese bank teller training 
notes, reflect the general dulling of our 
discriminating faculties as to what genuine money 
really looks like in the first place. 
Even in those circumstances where I do 
reliably use cash, incongruities and Indignities 
abound. At the convenience store where I buy my 
morning coffee (no barista for me), I strongly suspect 
that most of the cashiers, if not innumerate, are at 
least unused to performing the basic counting skills 
that handling cash sharpens. On Thursday afternoons, 
I take one of my sons to a local bowling alley for an 
after-school club, and it’s pulling teeth to get the 
attendant to properly calculate the per-person cost for 
a scrum of children waving their parents’ dollar bills 
in his face. Moreover, as any lush will tell you, the 
best spirits store in Oklahoma City is Byron’s Liquor 
Warehouse at 23rd and Broadway. Yet there, the 
hardened clerks take a counterfeit detector pen even 
to a lowly five-dollar bill. It becomes hard these days 
not to feel insulted at the lack of trust in, and respect 
for, your wad. 
Anecdotes about the coming cashless society 
abound, from the Church of England’s electronic 
collection plates to Europe’s abandonment of the 
mighty 500 Euro note. Oh, and there’s also the entire 
economy of Sweden, which is rapidly becoming a 
cash desert.  In China, the biggest consumer market 
of them all, the proliferation of smartphone-based 
payment apps renders cash unnecessary, and even a 
nuisance, for even the smallest transactions. 
Why does griping about this trend amount to 
anything more than yelling at the kids to stay off my 
lawn? I suppose I feel a lingering queasiness about 
the privacy implications of a cashless world. Also, I 
worry about the odd electromagnetic pulse that might 
fry the world’s payments systems. On a less 
hysterical note, a world without cash usage might 
also be world where people no longer wish to collect 
it. In previous columns, I’ve explored the decline of 
stamp collecting, and its connection to the demise of 
postal systems globally. This might be the future of 
paper money collecting as well. 
We cash users could resist in small, if futile, 
ways. We could start by practicing more cash-
friendly rituals. I’m thinking here of the Lunar New 
Year, and how (ironically) in China and elsewhere in 
Asia, red envelopes stuffed with hongbao 
commemorate the holiday. I write this column on the 
eve of Valentine’s Day. Perhaps instead of marking it 
with boxes of chocolate and flowers, we could 
instead give money in exchange for… then again, 
maybe not. 
Chump Change 
Loren Gatch 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
139
The Quartermaster Column No. 5 
by Michael McNeil 
Nearly all of the endorsements of issuance 
on the backs of Types-39, -40 “Train,” and -41 
“Hoer” Confederate Treasury notes are the work 
of government depositaries (common) and the 
bonded quartermasters, commissaries, and 
paymasters who supplied the troops (much less 
common). On rare occasions, however, field 
officers of infantry units endorsed and issued these 
notes when they assumed the temporary role of an 
unbonded “acting” quartermaster, commissary, or 
paymaster. Among the few such known field 
officers was an endorsement which turned up on 
84 Treasury notes sold over a period of a few 
months in late 2015 on Heritage internet auctions 
from what was reportedly a large Texas hoard. 
The tiny signature on these notes was enigmatic, 
with just a simple last name: “Woods.” A great 
many Train and Hoer Treasury notes are endorsed 
by civilians, presumably much in the manner in 
which we endorse checks today. Some civilians 
endorsed these notes when they received interest 
on them from a depositary. These civilian 
endorsements lack the crucial clues that the 
Treasury notes were actually issued by the 
endorser, i.e., wording which reads “Issued on 
(date), by (name, rank, and title)” of the officer, 
agent, or depositary. The 84 notes endorsed by 
Woods look like a common civilian endorsement.  
Wendell Wolka solved the identity of this 
signature, and Woods turned out to be much more 
than a civilian. He was Colonel Peter Cavanaugh 
Woods, commander of the 36th Texas Cavalry. A 
quick check of the National Archives files for 
Texas on Fold3.com confirmed his signature on 
numerous original documents; see the illustrated 
example. 
Woods’ documents in the National 
Archives files do not specifically mention that he 
acted as a quartermaster, commissary, or 
paymaster, but it is probable that he assumed at 
least one of those roles when he endorsed the 
Treasury notes. Texas was in the Trans-
Mississippi Department where communications 
with Richmond became difficult as the Union 
blockaded ports and gained control of the 
Mississippi River. Col. Woods was probably 
unaware of the request by Secretary Memminger 
that all interest-bearing Train and Hoer notes 
needed a date of issue written on the back of the 
note (to minimize government liability for interest 
payments). 
Several sources describe incidents in 
which Woods was protective of his men. On 
September 9th, 1863, Woods’ regiment was 
ordered “dismounted,” meaning that their horses 
were to be taken from them for use in other 
commands. It is worth noting that the enlistment 
records in the National Archives show that most 
Confederate men, including Woods, brought their 
personal horses with them when they enlisted. 
Woods protested this “dismounting” of his 
regiment and refused to obey the order. 157 of 
Woods’ men deserted to their homes on February 
1st, 1864. Woods followed them to their homes 
Woods’ endorsement is at top. The rest of the
notations read: “Issued Jackson Jany 1, 1863/
Reissued, San Antonio Octr 21, 63/ Int(erest) P(ai)d
to 1 Jan 1864.”   image courtesy HA.com 
Signature of “P. C. Woods, Col. Com(man)d(in)g” the
36th Texas Cavalry, on a requisition of forage for
horses, dated December 31st, 1862 at Camp
Magruder, Texas.  image courtesy Fold3.com
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
140
An endorsement by Col. Woods at the top, with 
another endorsement which reads: “Issued Houston/ 
M(ar)ch 3d 1863 by/ B Bloomfield/ Maj etc.”   
image courtesy HA.com 
and later returned with them. The unpopular 
dismounting order was executed on Feb. 20th.1   
Col. Woods’ 36th Texas Cavalry did not 
see action until April 12th, 1864, when “they 
received their baptism of fire at the battle of  
Blair’s Landing, 
Louisiana” in pursuit 
of Union Gen’l 
Nathaniel P. Banks’ 
defeated army. They 
continued to skirmish 
with Union forces, 
and on May 18th 
Woods was wounded 
when a bullet entered 
his left hand, 
traversed his arm, and 
exited the elbow.1    
The regiment 
returned to Texas in 
February 1865, and on May 21st it disbanded and 
divided its public property. Woods died on 
January 27th, 1898, and is buried at San Marcos, 
Texas.1 A place marker at Woods’ grave notes that 
after the war “...he freed his slaves, giving them 
tracts of land....,” an altruistic gesture very unlike 
the ubiquitous post-war practice of sharecropping 
that kept former slaves in the South destitute. 
Woods is one of the South’s important role 
models.   
Peter Cavanaugh Woods graduated from 
Louisville Medical Institute in 1842. He had no 
formal military training but he was elected by his 
men to his commanding rank of Colonel. He was a 
surgeon by profession and among the first to 
realize the value of antiseptic techniques in 
surgery.1 More soldiers would die of disease and 
infection in the Civil War than would die on the 
battlefield.  
A little persistence will reward the 
collector with a Treasury note signed by Woods; 
and with more persistence you can find Treasury 
notes signed by both Woods and a commissioned 
quartermaster. One note is known with the 
signatures of Woods and a Texan of Prussian 
ancestry, Capt. Henry Loebnitz, Asst. 
Quartermaster. Several examples are known with 
the endorsements of Woods and Maj. Benjamin 
Bloomfield, QM, who often appended “Issued 
Houston” to his endorsement, as seen in the 
illustrated example.    carpe diem  ◘ 
 
Notes: 
1. See the detailed history at tsahaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fwo16, accessed January 12th, 2016, published by the Texas 
State Historical Association. 
2. McNeil, Michael. Confederate Quartermasters, Commissaries, and Agents, published by Pierre Fricke, 2016, and often listed in 
eBay’s Confederate paper money. See pp. 754-758 for more information on Woods. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Peter Cavanaugh Woods 
image courtesy of Wendell Wolka 
The front of the Type-41
Treasury note endorsed by Col.
Peter Cavanaugh Woods,
commander of the 36th Texas
Cavalry and re-issued at San
Antonio, Texas.
image courtesy HA.com 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
141
The Obsolete Corner 
The Munroe Falls Manufacturing Company 
by Robert Gill 
The winter months are now upon us, and 
before we know it, June will be here, and it 
will be time for the big paper money show in 
Kansas City.  It can’t get here soon enough 
for me.  I was able to pick up a couple of nice 
sheets in January’s FUN show.  Maybe 
before too long, I will be able to write an 
article to share them with you.  But now, let’s 
look at the sheet that I’ve chosen for this 
article.  That is on The Munroe Falls 
Manufacturing Company, which operated 
over a hundred and seventy years ago in 
Munroe Falls, Ohio. 
     In 1817, a log dam was built on the 
Cuyahoga River to power a saw and gristmill. 
This power source attracted small industries 
to what became referred to as the town of 
Florence, Ohio.   
      Edmund and William Munroe, of Boston, 
Massachusetts, purchased two hundred acres 
of land in Florence in 1836, and made plans 
for a new manufacturing community.  They 
were quite aggressive in purchasing land and 
businesses.  They built a general store, 
improved existing mills, and began building 
larger mills and more homes.  The small 
town's name was changed to Munroe Falls, 
which was incorporated on October 26, 1838. 
     In his very comprehensive book, A 
History of Nineteenth Century Ohio Obsolete 
Bank Notes and Scrip, Wendell Wolka tells 
us in the nation-wide financial unstable year 
of 1837, the Munroe Brothers established the 
Munroe Falls Manufacturing Company, 
which was to grow or manufacture silk, wool, 
cotton, paper, flour, sugar, as well as 
machinery and tools of all descriptions. 
     They heavily invested in imported silk 
worms and mulberry trees to feed the worms.  
However, it was soon realized that the 
climate was not suitable for the worms.  The 
trees survived, but the worms did not. 
     A banking operation was started that 
issued notes that were supposed to be secured 
by real estate.  Nevertheless, state authorities 
quickly recognized it as an illegal bank, as it 
did not have a state charter.  By 1840, the 
bank's notes were widely listed as "no sale".  
Poor management decisions, and the results 
of the Panic of 1837, caused the entire 
enterprise to be bankrupt by 1846.  
Contemporary sources pegged the losses as 
significant for note holders. 
     This is a perfect example of what 
happened to many, many businesses that tried 
to operate during these stringent times, 
resulting in failure, causing the surrounding 
community to suffer heavily.   
     Over the last several years, I have seen 
maybe a handful of sheets on this company.  
Being able to acquire one is quite an 
accomplishment for a sheet collector like 
myself.  
     I always enjoy hearing from our 
members.  So, as I always do, I invite 
comments to my cell phone (580) 221-
0898, or my personal email address 
robertgill@cableone.net 
     Until next time…  Happy Collecting 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
142
 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
143
President’s Column 
Mar/Apr 2019 
I hope your new year is off to a good start.  We 
had a very good start at the FUN show in Orlando as 
many of the SPMC governors hosted the club table.  
Separately, we presented our first ever speakers series 
at the convention on Friday and Saturday, January 11-
12.  It was very well received.  Approximately 20-25 
attendees were present at each of the sessions.  Our 
Friday speakers were Bob Moon (National Bank 
Notes), Robert Calderman (Small Type), Wendell 
Wolka (New Orleans Obsoletes), and Pierre Fricke 
(Confederate).  On Saturday, Benny Bolin (Fractional 
Currency) presented after the membership meeting.  I 
would call this a success by every measure.  Each 
session was engaging with lots of questions and we 
were definitely able to reach new collectors. 
Our table also hosted what they call Treasure 
Trivia, where young numismatists go to participating 
tables seeking answers to trivia questions created by 
the hosts.  Ours was “What was the smallest 
denomination of currency ever issued by the U.S.?”  
On Saturday we drew about 50-60 YNs, each of 
whom received a free world bank note.  Now we are 
cooking!  It is so rewarding to reach out to new 
collectors while having a great time doing it.  Count 
us in for next year. 
On this particular trip, my wife Cheryl and 
daughter Ashley came along for a brief vacation while 
Dad tended to 
business.  On 
Friday they 
found an hour 
to spend with 
me at the 
show, and for 
the first time 
ever Ashley 
said “Wow, 
that’s cool” 
to a bank 
note I showed 
her.  Of 
course, it 
would have 
to be a note 
with a 
personal connection:  a series 1902 national bank note 
from FNB of ASHLEY, Pennsylvania.  How’s this for 
satisfaction: 
That note now resides in a brand new collection, 
thanks to Dad.  Do you remember how you felt when 
you acquired the first note of your collection?  Pretty 
good feeling, right? 
After FUN, governors Gary Dobbins and Robert 
Calderman each recently hosted club tables at the 
Houston Money Show and Long Beach, respectively.  
Both reported good activity.  Robert was even 
interviewed by a Vietnamese YouTube TV Channel 
about growing paper collecting interest in Vietnam.  
That’s fantastic! 
Now we start to look ahead to the International 
Paper Money Show in Kansas City in June.  That 
venue is our premiere gathering of the year.  If this is 
news to you, embrace your sense of adventurism and 
make the trek.  There is so much going on and so 
many people to meet.  This will really kick-start your 
collecting experience.  You can check out our website 
calendar and press releases for more information as 
we get closer, at www.spmc.org. 
By the time you read this, we should have our 
portal to national banking data open for business.  
Again, please visit our website for a press release.  I 
know you will be impressed! 
I hear our biggest snowstorm of the year is on its 
way to Minnesota, so I will spend the rest of the day 
clearing out the newspaper that my snow blower 
ingested earlier this week.  I hope spring comes 
quickly! 
 
Shawn 
 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
144
 
 
W_l]om_ to Our  
N_w M_m\_rs! 
\y Fr[nk Cl[rk—SPMC M_m\_rship Dir_]tor 
 
NEW MEMBERS 01/05/2019 
14898 Donald S. Lafont, Tom Denly 
14899 Edward Wengert, Website 
14900 Mike Batkin, ANA Ad 
14901 James McCants, Robert Calderman 
14902 Michael Saharian, Heritage 
14903 Emil Schutte, Website 
14904 Paul E. Peelle, Website 
14905 Dennis Boykin, ANA Ad 
14906 Steve Fawthrop, ANA Ad 
14907 Phillip Mangrum, Frank Clark 
14908 Mark Anderson, Robert Calderman 
14909 Robert Horton, Jason Bradford 
14910 Dan Fanger, Website 
14911 Roy Vajdak, Jason Bradford 
14912 Dennis Earl, ANA Ad 
14913 Albert Hall, Website 
 
REINSTATEMENTS 
None 
 
LIFE MEMBERSHIPS 
LM442 D. Lynn Fox, Membership Upgrade 
 
New Dues Remittal Process
Send dues directly to  
Robert Moon 
SPMC Treasurer 
104 Chipping Ct 
Greenwood, SC  29649  
 
Send your dues in when your  
mailing label states they are due.  
 
You may also pay your dues online at 
www.spmc.org. 
Governor Elections 
 
The following governor’s terms of office are up in 2019;   
 
 Jeff Bruggeman  •    Steve Jennings 
 Gary Dobbins  •   Robert Vandevender 
 
If you are interested in running for a seat on the board, submit a self-biography and signatures 
of ten SPMC members to the secretary by April 1 at;  
     Jeff Bruggeman 
     711 Signal Mtn. Rd. #197 
     Chattanooga, TN  37405 
 
These will be published in the May/June issue of Paper Money and if there is a contested  
election, it  will be held in May 2019. 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
145
Editor Sez
I hope everyone was able to 
stay warm during this strange 
extreme weather we are having this 
year.  We have some friends in 
upper Michigan and they were having 
snow measured in feet and wind chills 
of NEGATIVE double digits.  I will take my triple 
digit summer heat here in Texas any day! 
We started the year off in a truly great manner! 
The SPMC put together a speaker series for FUN 
and it was all that (fun) and more! I rarely go to 
FUN, but since I am going to be touring Italy with 
our high school choir at the time of the KC IPMS, I 
decided to use some miles and attend. President 
Hewitt asked me to do a presentation on Fractional 
and of course I say YES! I arrived at MN on 
Thursday and left at noon on Saturday, so it was a 
whirlwind trip, but incredibly enjoyable none the 
less.  We plan on continuing the series and I hope to 
return in the future.  
It was truly amazing and satisfying at the 
turnouts we had.  We had four presentations on 
Friday and the general SPMC meeting and my 
Fractional presentation on Saturday.  Each session 
was well attended with over 125 people total at the 
five sessions. All had over 20 or more attending.  It 
was great to see people interested in learning about 
paper!  One of the most interesting things was that 
we had 20-30 people at the Friday and Saturday 8a 
sessions! 
Thanks to the presenters and a big thanks to 
President Hewitt and Cindy Wibker of FUN for 
setting this up.  
Bob Moon started us off at 8a on 
Saturday with an introduction to 
National Banknote collecting. It was 
well done and even held the interest of 
a fractional boy like me!  He related 
how he had waited for one note and 
after years and years, he was able to 
get it and truly showing that patience 
is a virtue and 
persistence pays off! 
Small size expert 
Robert Calderman was next 
presenting “An Introduction to 
Small Size Currency Collecting.” 
His presentation focused on the 
different series of small size notes 
(but not the smallest size—
fractional), and the many different 
ways one could collect them. I learned a lot about the 
different seal colors and what series are the most rare 
and desirable.  
The ever ebullient, 
knowledgeable and 
entertaining Wendell 
Wolka followed with a 
talk titled “Enemy at the 
Gates.”  He detailed how 
New Orleans was 
impacted during the Civil 
War and how many 
merchants printed their 
own currency, the rarity of 
same and of course he 
delved into the less than 
above the board antics of some of the merchants, 
bankers and printers.  He always does a good job and 
truly made it very entertaining while teaching! 
Pierre Fricke finished the 
day with a nicely done 
presentation on contemporary 
confederate counterfeits. He 
detailed many of the notes 
found today and the men who 
were the counterfeit 
masterminds.  
Finally, I was able to 
bring the program to a close 
on Saturday morning when 
after a short business meeting 
and state of the society presentation by President 
Hewitt, I talked about the Civil War small change 
crisis, causes and effect and remedies tried. I talked 
about the five issues of Fractional and even broached 
the chicken/egg controversy (perf vs. non-perf first 
issue notes—which came first) and of course went on a 
tireless tirade defending the greatest man involved in 
U.S. currency, Spencer Morton Clark! 
While it was a quick trip, it was very enjoyable 
and one I would love to do again. So, besides KC-
IPMS, mark your calendars and try to make it to the 
2020 FUN January 9-12 in Orlando where the show is 
slated to be held until at least 2023. 
Until next issue!  Enjoy and contribute to our 
hobby. 
Benny 
Texting and Driving—It can wait!
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
146
Where do SPMC members live? 
That question was recently asked so President Hewitt took all the members in the 48 continental 
states and using the zip codes on file, created this comprehensive population map.  the more 
densely populated, the more bright green, yellow and red.  
(ed. note—I had no idea we had so many in the DFW area) 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
147
 
New SPMC Exhibit Class and Award Structures 
 
The SPMC Awards/Exhibit Committee has made the following changes to the SPMC Exhibit 
Award Program, which were approved by the Board and will be instituted at the 2019 KC IPMS. 
Categories: 
A Five-Class Exhibit award structure as follows: 
 Federal Issues (Large Size; Small Size; Fractional) 
 Non-Federal Issues (Obsolete Paper Money, Colonial Paper Money, Confederate States 
of America Issues, Depression Scrip all eras) 
 National Bank Notes – all types; all periods 
 World Paper Money (including Canada and Mexico) 
 Related Fiscal Items (Checks, Bonds, Stocks, MPC, Ephemera such as post cards and 
advertising, literature) 
Certificates will be awarded as follows:   
 1st Place SPMC Exhibit Award 
 2nd Place SPMC Exhibit Award 
 Certificate of Appreciation for all exhibitors 
Financial Awards will also be instituted as follows: 
 First Place in all five classes: $100 Cash 
 Second Place in all five classes: $50 Cash (if awarded) 
 Best of Show $250 Cash 
 First Place Single Case Exhibit: $25 (not eligible for Best of Show award) 
Judging: 
 Judges will use a custom-made SPMC standard Exhibit Grading sheet/categories. 
 A minimum of 3 Judges will be selected for the event if available (exceptions may be 
made by the President or Vice President based on personnel availability) 
 Judges will be SPMC members in good standing and selected by the President or Vice 
President. 
 A minimum score (the number to be determined) will be required to qualify for a First or 
Second Place Award.  
 Best of Show will be awarding from the winners of each of the five First Place class 
winners. 
Cases: 
 Each exhibit will be limited to seven (7) cases.  
 If an exhibitor wants to do a larger exhibit, it will be considered a non-competitive 
exhibit and not eligible for awards.  
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
148
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
International Paper Money Show 
Exhibit Judging Sheet 
Title of Exhibit: 
Category: 
Attribute 
Maximum 
Score 
Score 
PRESENTATION     
Title/Scope of the exhibit is obvious.  10   
 Manner of presentation, neatness and eye appeal is good. 15   
NUMISMATIC INFORMATION     
Provides sufficient educational value to the viewer.  Numismatic 
specifications of the exhibited items are described to the extent needed by the 
exhibit's scope to answer the questions of other numismatists. 
10 
  
Does the exhibit present information beyond what is known to the average 
collector of this type of material. 10 
  
Would a non-collector understand the exhibit. 5   
CREATIVITY and ORIGINALITY     
The exhibit should be novel and imaginative. 10   
DEGREE of DIFFICULTY     
The exhibit should show dedication to collecting and that the numismatic 
material or related information was difficult to assemble or to present. 
Examples:  multiple rare pieces, new research or a collection that took years 
to assemble. 
15 
  
CONDITION     
Quality of exhibited material compared to highest reasonably available 
quality of like material. 10 
  
RARITY     
Scarcity of the exhibited material without regard to its price. 5   
COMPLETENESS     
Completeness of exhibit material as it relates to the scope implied in the 
title of the exhibit or other data in the first case of the exhibit. 10 
  
TOTAL      100   
Comments:     
      
 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
149
United States Paper Money 
specialselectionsfordiscriminatingcollectors 
Buying and Selling 
the finest in U.S. paper money 
Individual Rarities: Large, Small National 
Serial Number One Notes 
Large Size Type 
ErrorNotes  
Small Size Type 
National Currency 
StarorReplacementNotes 
Specimens,  Proofs,Experimentals 
FrederickJ. Bart 
Bart,Inc. 
website: www.executivecurrency.com 
(586) 979-3400 
POBox2• Roseville,MI 48066 
e-mail:   Bart@executivecurrency.com 
Buying & Selling 
• Obsolete • Confederate
• Colonial & Continental
• Fractional
• Large & Small U.S. Type Notes
Vern Potter Currency
& Collectibles 
Please visit our Website at 
www.VernPotter.com 
Hundreds of Quality Notes Scanned, 
Attributed & Priced 
P.O. Box 10040 
Torrance, CA 90505-0740 
Phone: 310-326-0406 
Email: Vern@VernPotter.com 
Member •PCDA •SPMC •FUN •ANA 
WANTED: 1778 NORTH CAROLINA COLONIAL $40. 
(Free Speech Motto). Kenneth Casebeer, (828) 277-
1779; Casebeer@law.miami.edu 
TRADE MY DUPLICATE, circulated FRN $1 star notes 
for yours I need. Have many in the low printings. Free 
list. Ken Kooistra,  PO Box 71, Perkiomenville, PA 18074. 
kmk050652@verizon.net 
WANTED: Notes from the State Bank of Indiana, Bank of  
the State of Indiana, and related documents, reports, 
and other items. Write with description (include 
photocopy if possible) first. Wendell Wolka, PO Box 
1211, Greenwood, IN 46142 
FOR SALE: College Currency/advertising notes/ 
1907 depression scrip/Michigan Obsoletes/Michigan 
Nationals/stock certificates. Other interests? please 
advise. Lawrence Falater.Box 81, Allen, MI.  49227 
WANTED: Any type Nationals containing the name 
“LAWRENCE” (i.e. bank of LAWRENCE). Send 
photo/price/description to LFM@LARRYM.com 
WANTED: Republic of Texas “Star” (1st issue) notes. 
Also “Medallion” (3rd issue) notes. VF+. Serious 
Collector. reptexpaper@gmail.com.  
BUYING ONLY $1 HAWAII OVERPRINTS. White, no 
stains, ink, rust or rubber stamping, only EF or AU. 
Pay Ask.  Craig Watanabe. 808-531- 2702. 
Captaincookcoin@aol.com 
Vermont   National   Bank   Notes   for   sale. 
For   list contact.   granitecutter@bellsouth.net. 
WANTED: Any type Nationals from Charter #10444 
Forestville, NY. Contact with price. Leo Duliba, 469 
Willard St., Jamestown, NY 14701-4129. 
"Collecting Paper Money with Confidence". All 27 
grading factors explained clearly and in detail. Now 
available Amazon.com .  AhlKayn@gmail.com 
Stamford CT Nationals For Sale or Trade. Have some 
duplicate notes,   prefer    trade    for   other 
Stamford notes, will consider cash.  
dombongo@earthlink.net 
Wanted Railroad scrip Wills Valley; Western & 
Atlantic 1840s; East Tennessee & Georgia; Memphis 
and Charleston. Dennis Schafluetzel 1900 Red Fox 
Lane; Hixson, TN 37343. Call 423-842-5527 or email 
dennis@schafluetzel 
Wanted DC Merchant Scrip.  Looking for 
pre-1871 DC merchant scrip (Alexandria, 
Georgetown & Washington). Send photo/price/
description to  tip001@verizon.net. 
$ MoneyMart $ 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
151
Fractional Currency Collectors 
Join the Fractional Currency Collectors Board (FCCB) 
today and join with other collectors who study, collect 
and commiserate about these fascinating notes. 
New members get a copy of Milt Friedberg’s updated 
version of the Encyclopedia of United States Postage 
and Fractional Currency as well as a copy of the 
S implified copy of the same which is aimed at new 
collectors. Come join a group dedicated to the are 
fractional fanatics! 
New Membership is $30 
or $22 for the Simplified edition only 
To join, contact Dave Stitely, membership chair 
Box 136, Gradyville, PA  19039. 
SIZE INCHES 50 100 500 1000 
Fractional 43/4 X 21/4 $28.40 $51.00 $228.00 $400.00 
Colonial  51/2 X 31/16 $25.20 $45.00 $208.00 $364.00 
Small Currency 65/8 X 27/8 $25.45 $47.00 $212.00 $380.00 
Large Currency 77/8 X 31/2 $31.10 $55.00 $258.00 $504.00 
Auction   9 X 33/4 $31.10 $55.00 $258.00 $504.00 
Foreign Currency 8 X 5 $38.00 $68.50 $310.00 $537.00 
Checks 95/8 X 41/4 $40.00 $72.50 $330.00 $577.00 
SHEET HOLDERS 
10 50 100 250 
Obsolete Sheet--end 
open 
 83/4 X 141/2 $23.00 $101.00 $177.00 $412.00 
National Sheet--side 
open 
 81/2 X 171/2 $24.00 $108.00 $190.00 $421.00 
Stock Certificate--end 
open 
 91/2 X 121/2 $21.50 $95.00 $165.00 $390.00 
Map & Bond--end open 181/2 X 241/2 $91.00 $405.00 $738.00 $1,698.00 
Photo  51/4 X 71/4 $12.00 $46.00 $80.00 $186.00 
Foreign Oversize 10 X 6 $23.00 $89.00 $150.00 $320.00 
Foreign Jumbo 10 X 8 $30.00 $118.00 $199.00 $425.00 
DBR Currency 
We Pay top dollar for 
*National Bank notes
*Large size notes
*Large size FRNs and FBNs
www.DBRCurrency.com 
P.O. Box 28339
San Diego, CA 92198
Phone: 858-679-3350
Fax: 858-679-7505 
See out eBay auctions under 
user ID DBRcurrency 
1507 Sanborn Ave. • Box 258 
Okoboji, IA 51355 
Open from Memorial Day thru Labor Day 
History of National Banking & Bank Notes
Turn of the Century Iowa Postcards 
MYLAR-D® CURRENCY HOLDERS 
BANK NOTE AND CHECK HOLDERS 
You may assort note holders for best price (min. 50 pcs. one size).  
You may assort sheet holders for best price (min. 10 pcs. one size). 
SHIPPING IN THE U.S. (PARCEL POST) FREE OF CHARGE 
Out of Country sent Registered Mail at Your Cost 
Mylar D® is a Registered Trademark of the Dupont Corporation. This also 
applies to uncoated archival quality Mylar® Type D by the Dupont Corp. or the 
equivalent material by ICI Industries Corp. Melinex Type 516. 
DENLY’S OF BOSTON 
P.O. Box 29, Dedham, MA 02027 • 781-326-9481 
ORDERS: 800-HI-DENLY • FAX-781-326-9484 
WWW.DENLY’S.COM 
___________________________________________________________Paper Money * March/April 2019 * Whole No. 320_____________________________________________________________
152
OUR MEMBERS SPECIALIZE IN
NATIONAL CURRENCY
They also specialize in Large Size Type Notes, Small Size Currency,
Obsolete Currency, Colonial and Continental Currency, Fractionals,
Error Notes, MPC’s, Confederate Currency, Encased Postage,
Stocks and Bonds, Autographs and Documents, World Paper Money . . .
and numerous other areas.
THE PROFESSIONAL CURRENCY DEALERS ASSOCIATION
is the leading organization of OVER 100 DEALERS in Currency,
Stocks and Bonds, Fiscal Documents and related paper items.
PCDA
To be assured of knowledgeable, professional, and ethical dealings
when buying or selling currency, look for dealers who
proudly display the PCDA emblem.
For a FREE copy of the PCDA Membership Directory listing names, addresses and specialties
of all members, send your request to:
The Professional Currency Dealers Association
PCDA
•	 Hosts the annual National Currency & Coin Convention during March in Rosemont, Illinois. 	
	 Please visit our Web Site pcdaonline.com for dates and location.
•	 Encourages public awareness and education regarding the hobby of Paper Money Collecting.
•	 Sponsors the John Hickman National Currency Exhibit Award each summer at the International
	 Paper Money Convention, as well as Paper Money classes and scholarships at the A.N.A.’s Summer
	 Seminar series.
•	 Publishes several “How to Collect” booklets regarding currency and related paper items. Availability 	
	 of these booklets can be found in the Membership Directory or on our Web Site.
Or Visit Our Web Site At: www.pcdaonline.com
James A. Simek – Secretary
P.O. Box 7157    •    Westchester, IL  60154
(630) 889-8207   •   Email:  nge3@comcast.net
PLATINUM NIGHT® & SIGNATURE® AUCTIONS
April 24-30, 2019  |  Chicago  |  Live & Online
T35 1861 “Indian Princess” $5
PCGS Very Fine 25
T3 1861 Montgomery $100 
PMG Choice Very Fine 35
T1 1861 Montgomery $1,000 
PMG Very Fine 30 Net
T4 1861 Montgomery $50 
PCGS Choice About New 58
T27 1861 $10 
PMG Very Fine 20
T12 1861 “Manouvrier” $5 
PMG Choice Uncirculated 63 EPQ
T2 1861 Montgomery $500 
PMG Choice Very Fine 35
Selections from the Grand Canyon Collection 
Inquiries:   
800-872-6467, Ext. 1001
Consignment deadline  
March 4
DALLAS  |  NEW YORK  |  BEVERLY HILLS  |  SAN FRANCISCO  |  CHICAGO  |  PALM BEACH 
LONDON  |  PARIS  |  GENEVA  |  AMSTERDAM  |  HONG KONG
Always Accepting Quality Consignments in 40 Categories 
Immediate Cash Advances Available 
1 Million+ Online Bidder-Members
Paul R. Minshull 441002067; Heritage Numismatic Auctions 
#444000370. BP 20%; see HA.com.     52954
        
      

