Hot Collector’s Item: Confederate Bonds

Have you ever seen a Confederate States of America bond?

the CSA emitted bonds to attract funds to undergird its efforts.  Southerners and others loaned funds to the CSA government, which in return promised to pay them off, with interest, presumably once the war was won and the CSA secure.

It goes without saying that the majority of buyers of Confederate bonds were not repaid, and the bonds that were not destroyed or lost were hidden away in attics and other out-of-the-way places.

Nowadays, the bonds that survived these many decades are prized by collectors. And, you can turn around and sell Confederate bonds (along with other types of paper items) in the online auction market for an excellent profit.

If you’ve ever seen a Confederate bond, you will get an inkling why lots of folks are wanting them. Not least of all, they are quite decorative. Physically, they’re pretty large–very much more impressive than a CSA dollar bill, for instance–and highly decorated. They look nice in a frame. Not to mention, of course, they stand out as a piece of the past. Most people could not afford to purchase an actual Civil War firearm in the present day, but Confederate bonds are within the budget of just about every War Between the States devotee.

Confederate bonds were issued in a variety of face values. They also varied in terms of the inscriptions and illustrations they used.

During an era when ornateness was the style, the Confederate bonds were vibrant examples the art of embellishment. In addition to having the terms of the bond printed in cursive script, they very often contained line graphics of rustic and city scenes as well as people, both real and symbolic.

If you also decide to frame one of these bonds and display it, maybe on a study or office wall, you will often enjoy gazing at it and admiring its arresting, antique appearance. If you’re like me,, you will surely start picturing what it would have been like to live during that momentous era and during those particular exciting yet tragic years.

Many Confederate bonds were in fact sold abroad, particularly in Britain, not to the increasingly impoverished denizens of the South. My Stonewall Jackson bond came from a hoard uncovered in England in modern times. Such hoards come to light every now and then, sending prices downward in the collectibles market, but the dip is usually not long lasting.  Lately I’ve learned that Stonewall Jackson bonds are becoming hard to get hold of, so I’m very grateful that I was able to get one when I did.

If your interest in Confederate bonds extends beyond merely possessing them and admiring their beauty and historical aura, you will discover them to be a wonderful entre into scripophily. This is the hobby of collecting old financial certificates, which can include bank instruments, stock certificates, railroad bonds and more.

If you are interested in exploring this subject in more depth, you can find books, as well as free information on the Web about CSA bonds. Learn more about their history and then attend coin shows where dealers often have them for sale. If you’re just interested in the artistic aspect, you can pick up one or two of the more common issues relatively inexpensively.  If you are interested in buying and selling for profit or as a business, of course you must learn much more about these bonds, their different issues and how to evaluate their condition, and be prepared for the give-and-take of bargaining with other knowledgeable dealers.

Now, leave it to an enterprising English woman to become the world’s authority on making money–even earning one’s living–selling pieces of American paper, not only old money and bonds but even pages torn out from old magazines.  You can read more about her surprising eBay paper selling method here.