0 Confederate States Certificate of Deposit – Mobile, Alabama

Description

0 Confederate States Certificate of Deposit – Mobile, Alabama
Offered for your consideration is a very rare and historic document issued by the Confederate States of America in an effort to remove older currency issues and replace them with a new issue, though the notes themselves were not available at the time of deposit. The central vignette depicts a panoply of military material, including flags, rifles with attached bayonets, a cannon with associated ammunition, and a drum. In the center of this is a shield bearing the Saint Andrew’s Cross, representative of the Confederate battle flag, with thirteen stars on the saltire. A wreath rests atop the shield. Flanking this are two decorative elements, one bearing the serial number and the other bearing the amount, in this case “
203
” and “
300
”, respectively. To the right of the vignette there is additional printed material noting the issuer, “
ASSIST. Treasurer’s Office
”, and the date, “
April 2
nd
, 1864
” (crossed out), while to the left are two manuscript additions, one giving the actual location, “
Mobile, Ala
”, and the other stating the exact date of issue, “
Dec 8
th
1864
”. A lengthy financial obligation indicates that “
The holder of this Certificate is entitled to
Three Hundred
Dollars, in Treasury Notes issued by authority of the Act of Congress of February 17
th
, 1864, on its presentation at this Office, in Exchange for Notes of Old Issues, this day deposited.
”. It is signed at the conclusion by “
A J Guirot
” in his capacity as “
ASSIST. Treasurer
”. The left end of the document is dominated by a large, decorative element, composed principally of scroll-work, within which is printed “
CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT
”. All of the foregoing material is enclosed in a rectangular border, with decorative ovals in each corner and at the top and bottom. A period notation in the lower selvage reads “
W. C. Hudson
”, presumably the original owner of the certificate. The back of this piece was originally blank, though it now bears a manuscript endorsement which reads “
Office of the Asst. Treasr CS / Mobile Ala Dec 8 1864 / Payable on Demand / after Ninety days without / (?)”
, followed by the signature of “
A J Guirot
” in his capacity as “
Asst Tr CS
”. The document was printed by “
Archer. Lithogr. Richmond. Va.
”, as evidenced by his imprint below the design at the left. According to the latest reference work on interim deposit receipts, approximately 250 of these forms were originally issued, though how many have survived the intervening 150+ years is unknown (the authors of the latest reference guide believe that only 21 to 50 of these pieces still exist). Whether added to a collection of interim deposit receipts or Confederate currency, this piece will be great addition to any set.
Anthony J. Guirot,
who had been Assistant Treasurer at New Orleans since 1858, ceased to be a Federal official on January 26, 1861, the day Louisiana seceded from the Union. He served as Depositary for the State of Louisiana until the Confederate government was organized. On March 9, 1861, the Confederate Congress established the office of Assistant Treasurer for New Orleans, and two days later, appointed Guirot to the position. He served in that capacity until the fall of that city in April, 1862, after which he removed his office to Jackson, Mississippi. In June, 1863, Guirot moved to Mobile, Alabama, where he stayed until March, 1865. He then moved to Selma, Alabama until the end of April, when he relocated to Meridian, Mississippi, where he was at the close of the war.
The presently offered document exhibits signs of significant period use, as expected, with somewhat less than ideal subsequent storage. Moderate toning is present across the entire surface, imparting to the paper a tan to light brown hue. Significant staining is noted across the entire document, though it seems heavier at the left and on the back (a dark ink stain can be seen within the elements of the central vignette).
The contrast is average for a document of this type, with all of the printed and manuscript material visible (though due to the staining, some of the material may require effort to see). Numerous storage folds are present, several of which have adversely affected the integrity of the paper (one junction hole can be seen at the upper left). This piece exhibits three large margins (the right one is smaller than the top and bottom), while the left edge is ragged and slightly affects the design elements at the upper and lower corners. Due to the acidic nature of the period iron gall ink and the poor quality of the paper, very minor ink erosion has occurred at a few of the manuscript additions. Any additional questions concerning the condition of this piece should be addressed before purchasing. Measuring approximately 6 x 7¾ inches, this piece would make a nice addition to any advanced Confederate fiscal paper collection.
A .95 charge will be added to the winning bid for postage and insurance.
A .00 charge will be added to any item picked up in person at our physical location.
If you have any questions regarding this item, please ask before bidding.
Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
American Coins and Collectibles
Shreveport, LA