1864 $50 Confederate Note F-VF

Jefferson Davis’ Last Stand

In 1864, the tide of the war was beginning to turn. The North was reeling off victory after victory, and Jefferson Davis — the first and only president of the Confederate States of America — could do little but hope that General Robert E. Lee and the “boys of the Confederacy” would regain control. But they never did, and by the end of April 1865, the Confederacy was no more. However, coins and other items from the Confederate States like this $50 Paper Currency Note continue to be a hot item for collectors.

More than 150 years old, it’s remarkable that any of these historic pieces of Civil War history have survived. Most were destroyed following the Southern defeat in the Civil War because they were deemed worthless with no government to back them with hard assets. But these notes available here all come in moderately circulated Fine to Very Fine (F–VF) condition.

An interesting fact about these notes is that each was personally hand-signed by the wife of a Confederate officer. Southern Treasury officials claimed this was done as an anti-counterfeiting measure. The fact of the matter, however, was that the sheer number of bills being printed meant the notes could not be individually signed by Southern treasury officials. Instead, a small army of women were often hired to sign the various notes!

This note represented a lot of money in 1864, but as the fortunes of war continued to turn against the Confederacy, Southern currency underwent the depreciation and soaring prices characteristic of inflation. So much so that by the end of the war a cake of soap could sell for as much as $50!

Now you can travel back in time to an era when brother fought against brother for the very fate of the nation itself. Add this 1864 $50 Confederate Note to your collection today!