1872 $5 South Carolina Note PMG 66 EPQ

DISCOVERED! $5 South Carolina Revenue Bonds Hoard

These notes, from a recently discovered hoard of South Carolina Revenue Bonds dated March 2, 1872, are nearly 150 years old. They were issued as an “IOU” to investors of the Blue Ridge Railroad Company, toward a tri-state railroad link-up that would facilitate trade in South Carolina. Enormous amounts of capital were necessary for railroad construction, some from private sources, but much of it came from state and local government funding. Each note features a central vignette of General Francis Marion—the famous Swamp Fox of Revolutionary War fame—inviting a British officer to share his breakfast of baked sweet potatoes based on the famous 1820 painting by artist John Blake White that now hangs in the United States Capitol. According to legend, the meeting took place during negotiations over establishing terms for a prisoner exchange. As the story goes, the British officer was so inspired by the Americans’ resourcefulness and dedication to the cause—despite their lack of adequate provisions, supplies or proper uniforms—that he promptly switched sides and supported the American cause.

Crisp Gem Uncirculated Notes From The E.B. Wesley Collection

This $5 note is one of a limited number of notes acquired from a large hoard of notes that had been held as collateral for a loan by E. B. Wesley to the State of South Carolina for westward expansion of the railroad through the Shenandoah valley through the Blue Ridge. The loan was never repaid to Wesley, so he kept the cash hidden away until it was recently offered to the public. Each note available here has been certified and graded by Paper Money Guaranty (PMG) as being in super-high grade, crisp Gem Uncirculated 66 (PMG 66) Excellent Paper Quality (EPQ) condition. To qualify for an EPQ designation, a note must be graded 65 and higher. Plus, each has been pedigreed as having come from “E.B. Wesley Collection.”

The Original Swamp Fox

Francis Marion was born in 1732 at his family’s plantation in Berkeley County, South Carolina. He later served in the French and Indian War. During the later years of the Revolutionary War, Marion made effective use of guerilla tactic tactics to surprise enemy regiments. Though often outnumbered, Marion's rag-tag band of militia men achieved great success and made South Carolina inhospitable for British forces. Mel Gibson’s character in 2000’s The Patriot was based on Marion. This is not only a fabulous piece of South Carolina history, it’s also a fabulous tribute to one of America’s most legendary Revolutionary War figures. Act now and secure yours!