**First Time At Auction**

North America, United States, Virginia, Richmond, ca. February 11th, 1864 CE. Engraved by Keatinge & Ball and printed by Evans & Cogswell. A 10-dollar bill from the Confederate States of America. The bill displays the central image of a war scene with men in uniform on horseback while soldiers stand near a cannon in the background. A pair of dark shields flanks the illustration with the inscriptions "TWO YEARS AFTER / THE RATIFICATION OF A / TREATY OF PEACE / BETWEEN" on the left and "THE CONFEDERATE / STATES / AND THE / UNITED STATES / OF AMERICA" on the right. The number 10 is shown in the upper right corner above an oval portrait of Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter, the Confederate States Secretary of State (1861 to 1862 CE). "CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA / Will pay / TEN DOLLARS / to Bearer / RICHMOND. / February 17th 1864 / 10" is printed below the central image. The bottom is inscribed with the signatures of "E Coffin" and "E Bell" with the name of the engravers "Keatinge & Ball, Columbia, S.C." below. The word "TEN" is printed horizontally on the left side with "Pt.d by Evans & Cogswell" and the background of the bill is in red ink. Note the uneven peripheries on this note, as many of these hastily printed bills were hand-cut with scissors. Size of bill: 7" L x 3" W (17.8 cm x 7.6 cm); Size of frame: 10.875" L x 7.125" W (27.6 cm x 18.1 cm)

Though now valued as collector's items, these bills were worth very little when printed. Like many other aspects of the Confederacy, its economy was a failure. By December 1864, a turkey cost 155 Confederate dollars and a cake of soap was priced 50 Confederate dollars. General Sherman destroyed the Confederate printing facilities in February 1865.

As a nice contrast to this memorabilia: the current United States 10 dollar bill features the portrait of Alexander Hamilton, who is not only believed to be an abolitionist, but also the only Founding Father not born in the United States or British America.

Provenance: ex-Stein collection, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA, acquired prior to 2010

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#164248

Intact and excellent. Fit with modern wood and glass frame with matting. Has not been examined outside of frame.