Macerated Currency
Macerated U.S. Currency Washington Monument Design
Macerated United States Currency Bank Notes, Washington Monument with Integral Thermometer with Treasury Tag, Extremely Fine.
This original example of Macerated Currency measures 6" high with a 3" wide base. Its original Treasury tag printed label is affixed to bottom of base reads, "Made of United States Bank Notes redeemed and macerated at the U.S. Treasury, Washington, D.C. Estimated $6,000". Fully functional Thermometer measures temperature in Fahrenheit. A wonderful desk display item.
Between the mid 1870s to 1928, worn and mutilated United States Currency Banknotes were returned to the Treasury Department where they were reduced to paper pulp and made into Souvenirs for sale to the public. By the 1890s, the pulp was sold to various contractors such as the National Currency Souvenir Co., where it was used to create souvenir busts of prominent Americans, historical images and replicas of various national monuments.