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Starting Down Another Rabbit Hole - Arkansas Notes And Scrip

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hokiefan_82's Avatar
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 Posted 10/10/2024  5:42 pm Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add hokiefan_82 to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
I have been thinking for a while about picking up some Arkansas notes and scrip, and recently a member of one of the coin clubs I'm in was showing me his very nice collection. That sort of pushed me into at least giving it a try. Here are my first two acquisitions.

The first is a low-grade but interesting 25 cent note issued by the Washington (Arkansas) Exchange Company, dated August 1, 1862, which is printed on the backs of $5 notes from the Real Estate Bank of the State of Arkansas.

The 2nd is a $2 Arkansas Treasury Warrant. Interestingly, the date on the holder says Dec 31, 1863, but the date on the note is actually July 31, 1863. I just picked up the reference book "Arkansas Obsolete Notes and Scrip" by Matt Rothert, Sr, and will need to start doing some studying!
My U.S. Classic Commemorative Complete Set: https://www.NGCcoin.com/registry/co...sets/278741/
My U.S. Fractional Note Set: https://notes.www.collectors-societ...eSetID=34188
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Hondo Boguss's Avatar
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 Posted 10/10/2024  5:54 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Hondo Boguss to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Interesting notes, Hokie! It looks like you're starting an adventure. I did the same with Louisiana notes. Paper is not really my thing so I didn't stay with it for long.
Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures
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hokiefan_82's Avatar
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 Posted 10/10/2024  8:24 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add hokiefan_82 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thanks, Hondo Boguss! I only got into collecting currency about 5 or 6 years ago, but I find it's taking up more and more of my attention! I've been looking for something other than just the typical type sets to work on, and something that wouldn't chew up a big chunk of my collecting budget, so I thought I'd give this a try. We'll see where it goes!
My U.S. Classic Commemorative Complete Set: https://www.NGCcoin.com/registry/co...sets/278741/
My U.S. Fractional Note Set: https://notes.www.collectors-societ...eSetID=34188
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hfjacinto's Avatar
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 Posted 10/10/2024  9:21 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add hfjacinto to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Very nice!

When you starting with California Gold Certificates?
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jbuck's Avatar
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hokiefan_82's Avatar
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 Posted 10/11/2024  4:22 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add hokiefan_82 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thanks, jbuck and hfjacinto!

Quote:
When you starting with California Gold Certificates?

I know I've said this before, hfjacinto, but one of these days I'm going to surprise you!
My U.S. Classic Commemorative Complete Set: https://www.NGCcoin.com/registry/co...sets/278741/
My U.S. Fractional Note Set: https://notes.www.collectors-societ...eSetID=34188
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 Posted 10/12/2024  12:15 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Ynnad to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
On the treasury warrant in the original post, what does the obligation "The State of Arkansas Will pay TWO DOLLARS to bearer to be paid according to number" mean exactly? To me it suggests to me that if two different bearers presented two warrants simultaneously and the treasury only had enough money to pay one then the bearer presenting the lowest numbered warrant would get paid. Or maybe it means that warrants 2, 3, 4 etc. were not payable until warrant 1 was paid. But I'm just making stuff up at this point. Does anyone know the exact meaning of this obligation or how it actually worked in practice? Is the text "ON WAR BOND Removed" in the PCGS description a clue?

I just noticed that the warrant bears two different numbers. What's up with that?

What exactly did the state of Arkansas mean by "dollar" as used on this warrant in 1863?

On a mostly unrelated note, when I worked for the state in the 1980s I was paid in Arkansas treasury warrants. Everybody called them checks but technically they were warrants because they were not drawn upon a bank and even the instruments themselves said they were warrants. I often wondered what would have happened if I drove down to Little Rock and presented one to the Treasurer of State's office for payment. I suspect that all I would have received would have been a funny look. Of course, in modern times every state employee is paid electronically.
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 Posted 10/12/2024  12:33 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Ynnad to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Another comment about the treasury warrant. I am sure that in 1863 and after that such an instrument would be very deeply discounted against specie or even considered worthless by the average Arkansan at the time. Does anyone have any idea what the warrant would have been worth in 1863, 1864, or 1865?
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 Posted 10/12/2024  2:41 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add january1may to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
On the treasury warrant in the original post, what does the obligation "The State of Arkansas Will pay TWO DOLLARS to bearer to be paid according to number" mean exactly?
My first guess would have been that "according to number" meant that the bearer of N warrants would be owed 2N dollars...

But yeah, it could plausibly have originally been "according to number of war bond" and then they removed the second bit because it was no longer relevant but for some reason couldn't just remove the first bit.
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 Posted 10/12/2024  4:10 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Ynnad to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
... it could plausibly have originally been "according to number of war bond" and then they removed the second bit because it was no longer relevant but for some reason couldn't just remove the first bit.


On similar warrants I have seen pictures of, the "ON WAR BOND" text was placed at the left and right of the portrait. Also, on similar warrants, the text on the left and right of the portrait is "ON AUDITOR'S WARRANT" instead of the war bond text and still have "according to number."
Edited by Ynnad
10/12/2024 4:13 pm
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hokiefan_82's Avatar
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 Posted 10/13/2024  3:53 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add hokiefan_82 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Very good questions, Ynnad! I have a club meeting in Little Rock on Thursday and I'll see what I can find out from the collector I'd mentioned.
My U.S. Classic Commemorative Complete Set: https://www.NGCcoin.com/registry/co...sets/278741/
My U.S. Fractional Note Set: https://notes.www.collectors-societ...eSetID=34188
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 Posted 10/13/2024  5:39 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Ynnad to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Another question. I wonder how many confederate Arkansas Treasury Warrants were actually paid. I am guessing the number is either zero or very small, especially for ones dated July 31, 1863. In September of 1863 the confederate state government fled Little Rock and went briefly to Arkadelphia before moving to Washington in Hempstead County. I wouldn't be surprised if many state treasury records were lost in the move.

In any event, the confederate warrants were void when the 14th Amendment was passed, if not sooner. Section 4 of the 14th Amendment states, "The United States and any state cannot assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred to aid in insurrection or rebellion against the United States."
Edited by Ynnad
10/13/2024 5:40 pm
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hokiefan_82's Avatar
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 Posted 11/04/2024  7:05 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add hokiefan_82 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I'm waiting on a reply about your questions, Ynnad. The fellow I forwarded them to has been traveling and will be back tomorrow. Just wanted to let you know I'd not forgotten!

I received two more notes for my fledgling set. The first is a $5 Arkansas Treasury Warrant, January 21, 1863, printed on the backs of Bank of the State of Arkansas drafts. Though it has an Criswell number on the holder, this actually seems to be an unattributed variety.


The second one is a $2 Little Rock, Arkansas, Certificate of Indebtedness, 1871. Matt Rothert, in his reference "Arkansas Obsolete Notes and Scrip", states these were issued from 1870-1878 payable at five to eight years after date of issue (this particular note is payable 7 years after issue). These notes passed as current money, being discounted. Rothert lists this particular note as an R7 rarity, with 1-5 examples being in existence.
My U.S. Classic Commemorative Complete Set: https://www.NGCcoin.com/registry/co...sets/278741/
My U.S. Fractional Note Set: https://notes.www.collectors-societ...eSetID=34188
Edited by hokiefan_82
11/04/2024 7:06 pm
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jbuck's Avatar
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 Posted 11/05/2024  11:47 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add jbuck to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply

Quote:
I received two more notes for my fledgling set.
Nice examples!
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hokiefan_82's Avatar
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 Posted 12/12/2024  2:46 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add hokiefan_82 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Just picked up another Arkansas Treasury note. This one is a variety with green printing on the back.
My U.S. Classic Commemorative Complete Set: https://www.NGCcoin.com/registry/co...sets/278741/
My U.S. Fractional Note Set: https://notes.www.collectors-societ...eSetID=34188
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hokiefan_82's Avatar
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 Posted 12/12/2024  3:00 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add hokiefan_82 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
@Ynnad - here are some partial answers/opinions I received for some the questions you raised. A lot of this, as you may imagine, is speculation. My friend had replied a while back, but I've had a lot of things going on and I'm only now getting around to putting this together.

RE: "Paid according to number"

I really don't know this answer specifically. But, from logic and my understanding of how the redemptions were usually handled, Arkansas Treasury Warrants were numbered based on the date they were issued. For example: I have four different $10 ATW. The earliest dated one, March, 1862, has a serial number (left # on face) of 43,845, the second one is dated August, 1863 and numbered 100,396, the third one is dated May, 1864 and numbered 126,994, and the fourth one is dated March, 1865 and is numbered 189,581. So, I'm presuming that they would be redeemed according to first to last.

RE: "On War Bond" reference on the PCGS label

The "ON WAR BOND" reference has to do with printing on the face of the note or (in case of your note) it is NOT printed on your note (it was removed). There were generally three references printed or NOT printed on each side of the portrait on the note. 1) "ON WAR BOND" 2) "ON AUDITORS WARANT" & 3) these words were removed on the note.
For Example:

ON WAR BOND


On Auditors Warrant


Words Removed from these notes


RE: Two Different numbers on the notes

These numbers are generally serial numbers based on when the notes were issued. The PCGS label calls them "S/N" or "serial numbers" . I'm pretty sure the number on left is based on when it is issued (see first answer above). I'm not really sure what exactly the number on the right side represents.
Your note has the PCGS label with "Serial# 313-87224" referenced and the note has written numbers left - 87224 and 313 on the right. So, they are calling it a "serial number". I have another note graded by PMG where the 2 numbers are labeled "S/N 187581/59076". Here's what it looks like:


RE: What Dollar mean on CSA notes

Generally, a dollar in the North as the same dollar as it the South, except they were backed by different economic systems. No government in a war really wants to pay out specie (metals) for paper money (normal redemption in 19th Century). I did find a little bit of information from one reference book I have on Confederate states' money: "Confederate States Paper Money" by Arlie Slabaugh, 10th edition, 2000.


RE: What were Ark Treasury Warrants worth 1863, 4, and 5:

Generally, Confederate money was worth more in the beginning of the early than at the end of the war. Although not backed by actual deposits of gold and silver in the treasury, Confederate money was generally used in and accepted by most citizens of the South. Confederate money was originally intended to be backed by cotton. The South intended to control the value of the currency by its stockpile of cotton. I'll include another quote from Slabaugh's book.


RE: How many Arkansas Treasury Warrants were actually redeemed by State.

According to Slabaugh, the each of the Confederate state governments printed their own currencies. The Confederate government based its own existence on the idea that each state could follow its own course, ie., state's rights concept. He says Arkansas was one of the most liberal states in printing money. He doesn't really address the issue of redeeming the money of the states that they printed.
I know Arkansas printed and issued Treasury Warrants for the entire war. When Little Rock was occupied, the Arkansas Confederate state government continued to function in exile in Washington, Arkansas. I have been told by some of employees at Old Washington State Park that they still have in their archives the original engraving plates used to print Arkansas Treasury Warrants. I have a couple of examples of ATW that were issued (according to issue date) in Washington in 1864 and 1865.

My U.S. Classic Commemorative Complete Set: https://www.NGCcoin.com/registry/co...sets/278741/
My U.S. Fractional Note Set: https://notes.www.collectors-societ...eSetID=34188
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