This interesting lot consists of several US paper currencies from the Civil War era to the early 1950’s, as well as paper currencies from Germany from pre-World War I and the Weimar Republic of the 1920’s, and currency from other countries around the world.  

There are three fractional currencies from the Civl War era. They were issued by the U.S. government because there was a shortage of metal coins due to hoarding during the war.  

The first note is a second issue 5 cent fractional currency from 1863 featuring the portrait of George Washington, with a dark oval around Washington’s portrait to prevent counterfeiting and a “5” overprint on the back, the currency is in good condition, with a corner crease at the top left, and the paper measures 1 7/8 x 2 9/16 inches wide. The next note is a fourth issue ten cent fractional currency featuring an allegorical figure of Liberty on the left side, issued between 1862 and 1876. The paper measures 1 15/16 x 3 1/8 inches wide and has modest wear. The third note is a 25 cent fractional currency featuring a portrait of George Washington and an orange-red seal on the front and a decorative green image on the back, it cannot be a second issue because the second issue had a bronze oval around Washington’s portrait, so it is either a third, fourth, or fifth issue of this note, which came out between 1864 and 1879, and the paper measures 1 7 /8 x 3 13/16 inches wide and is in very good condition.  

There are three $5 local bank notes from the Citizens’ Bank of Louisiana at Shreveport from 1857 that were printed by the American Bank Note Company in green and black on the front and in orange and French lettering on the back - New Orleans had a large French population going way back - and we took the $5 notes to Coastal Coin Co. in Sarasota and they told us the notes are genuine uncirculated notes. The notes have an onion skin texture, which is how to tell the notes are genuine. The notes are obsolete now, but very collectible. They measure    3 1/8 x 7 1/2 inches wide and are in great condition, according to Coastal Coin.  

There is a Ten Dollar banknote issued by the New Orleans Canal & Banking Company and it is called a “blank back” because there is no image on the back side. The note was printed by Underwood Bald & Spencer, an American engraving firm that produced various bank notes during the 1830’s and 1840’s, and it could be presented by the bearer to a bank in New Orleans or at the Bank of America in New York. Underwood Bald & Spencer bank notes are also on display at the Smithsonian and the Worcester Art Museum. Coastal Coin said the Ten Dollar note is genuine and in great condition, and it measures 3 x 6 15 /16 inches wide. 

This lot also has a large $1 Silver Certificate with George Washington’s image, a blue seal from the series of 1923 (serial number A68162329D) and this is the last large-size $1 silver certificate issued before the switch to the current smaller size in 1928. The certificate is in good condition and measures 3 1/8 x 7 1/2 inches wide, and there are two $2 red seal bills from 1953 featuring the portrait of Thomas Jefferson on the front and Monticello, Jefferson’s home, on the back. The bills measure 2 5/8 x 6 1/8 inches wide and are crisp and in very good condition.  

There are three German bank notes in the lot: 1) a 100 mark Reichsbanknote from 1908 (serial no. 4724709J), issued during the German Empire period before World War I and before the hyperinflation period of the Weimar Republic. It was part of the Goldmark system, a stable currency backed by gold prior to World War I, it measures 3 15/16 x 6 1/4 inches wide and is  in good condition, with light creases at the top and a red mark in the bottom margin. 2) a 50 pfennig voucher or notgeld (emergency money) from Wittenberge, Germany issued in 1921. It was not public currency and was used only for trade and commerce in Witteberge, and it was only valid for 3 months. The note is in very good condition and measures 2 7/8 x 4 1/8 inches wide. The third note is a 75 pfennig note from 1921 that was probably notgeld issued by the municipality of Hallig-Langeness-Nordmarsch, and the words “Liwer duad as Slaw” below the flag bearer mean “rather dead than a slave”. The note measures 2 1/2 x 3 15/16 inches wide and is in very good condition.  

There are two non-German paper currencies as well: a 1 Boliviano banknote issued by the Central Bank of Bolivia in 1928, it features Simon Bolivar on the front and was a second issue because it was printed by Waterloo & Sons, and it is no longer legal tender, but considered a collectible. The note measures 2 3/8 x 4 1/2 inches wide and is crisp and in great condition, and the last piece of paper currency is a 5,000,000 drachmai banknote issued by the Central Bank of Greece in 1944. it features the portrait of Arethusa on the left, it is no longer legal tender and was replaced by the euro in 2002, it measures 2 7/16 x 5 1/2 inches wide and is in very good condition, with small staple holes to the left of Arethusa’s head.  

Largest Size: 2 7/16 x 5 1/2 in. 

All items are sold AS IS. Lot and condition details are for descriptive purposes only. Sarasota Estate Auction is not responsible for errors and/or omissions of condition. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is perfect or free from wear, flaws, or characteristics of age. Please bid according to your own expertise, or request any additional information and/or photographs you deem necessary.