Hokiefan's Collection Of Arkansas Obsoletes, Scrip And National Bank Notes

Thanks, jbuck!

I agree! It goes without saying, but I guess I should be saying it anyway, because it is a very appealing part of the topic. Especially when you get near McGehee.

Another Des Arc note, unlisted in Rothert, which is the same issuer and of very similar design to the one I shared a few days ago. It's a bit ragged, but the details are all fairly clear. This one is dated a few months later, is plate B instead of A, and most noticeably is a different color paper. The vignette of a steam train to the left looks the same, though on this note is very faded. The only other difference I see, other than denomination, is the "Certificate of Deposite" annotation at the top. On the previous note it was solid letters, while this one is outlined letters.

For merchant scrip and obsolete notes, I use Matt Rothert's "Arkansas Obsolete Notes and Scrip" (1985). Though not Arkansas-specific, Grover Criswell's "Confederate Notes and Southern States Currency" is my main reference on the huge variety of Arkansas Treasury Warrants and War Bonds. Arkansas didn't have a lot of banks which issued currency, but James Haxby's "United States Obsolete Bank Notes" is my go-to reference for those.

Fantastic!

Four new Arkansas notes for my collection arrived today. The first two were issued by the Helena Insurance Company of Helena, Arkansas. Helena is a city in eastern Arkansas on the Mississippi River, and is part of Phillips County. Helena was founded in 1833 and named after the daughter of Sylvanus Phillips, an early settler in the area and namesake of the county.

The first is a 50 cent note, Rothert 282-2B. Notes from this issuer came in two distinct designs in denominations from 25 cents to $3, and also a $20 note (probably $5 and $10, as well, though none are known). Rothert used the plate letters of the two designs, "A" and "B", in his numbering to differentiate them for each denomination.
One interesting thing is the "payable in Currency" obligation on this note was changed by hand to "payable in Confederate Notes".


The other Helena note is a $3 note, also of the 2nd design, though this one is not listed in Rothert. He lists only a $3 note of the 1st design and designated it 281-5 (I'm not sure why he didn't go ahead and call it 281-5A!). This note, if Rothert had been aware of it, would have been 281-5B.


The third note, a 75 cent note issued by C.C. Danley in Little Rock, Arkansas, is catalogued as Rothert 411-2. Christopher Columbus Danley served in the Army of the Republic of Texas during the Texas Revolution, and then he attained the rank of captain in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War. He served as the second Arkansas State Auditor, and later was elected to the Arkansas Senate. He was owner and editor/publisher of the Arkansas Gazette newspaper from 1853 until his death in 1865 at age 47.


Finally, a rare 25 cent note from Yellville, Arkansas issued by James H. Berry, Rothert 710-1. Yellville, in northern Arkansas, was settled in the early 1800's and was re-named after Archibald Yell, the first U.S. Representative from Arkansas after it became a state. This note features a portrait of Jefferson Davis, and was redeemable in Confederate Notes, Arkansas War Bonds or Arkansas Treasury Warrants.

This note is the Rothert plate note for this issue.

Beautiful notes Hokie!
And I love the history behind each piece.

Thank you very much HondoB, Bud250r and jbuck!