Currency $2 Louisiana State Note

Tom Hughes

Sergeant Major
Joined
May 27, 2019
Location
Mississippi
I picked up this $2 Louisiana State Note years ago at an auction and wanted to share it on this forum.
It was printed on the back of some bond notes.


money1.JPG

Front of note

money2.JPG

Back of note
 
Very cool. If I remember correctly, these were issued just a little before Louisiana was taken over by Federal troops. Love the way they used the backs of other old notes. I primarily collect CSA currency, but have started getting a few state issued notes too... they are in many ways even more interesting than the national notes. Thanks for sharing!
 
Nice Piece.
 
Very cool. If I remember correctly, these were issued just a little before Louisiana was taken over by Federal troops. Love the way they used the backs of other old notes. I primarily collect CSA currency, but have started getting a few state issued notes too... they are in many ways even more interesting than the national notes. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the info.
I know very little about notes and currency from this time period so any information is appreciated.
So using the backs of old notes to print state notes was a common thing?
 
Thanks for the info.
I know very little about notes and currency from this time period so any information is appreciated.
So using the backs of old notes to print state notes was a common thing?

Paper shortages in the South, especially bank note paper, seems to have driven many different solutions at different times and for different states. Printing on old notes and bonds was a solution in a number of states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida... Your note is printed on the back of old Mississippi notes which I thought was very cool.
 
Thanks for the info.
I know very little about notes and currency from this time period so any information is appreciated.
So using the backs of old notes to print state notes was a common thing?
In this early war (61-62) time frame, quality bank note paper had become quite scarce. It was not unusual to find bank, local or state issued currency that had been printed on the backs of sheets of unused printed notes of many types.
 
I've considered collecting State notes in addition to Confederate ones. There seems to be a whole lot of different sizes and dimensions that could make this an almost never ending and expensive past time.

🤑 Every time I look at the few States notes I have, I think I should pick up a few more. Then I get out Shull's "Southern States Currency" and start paging through it. Yikes! You are right, this could be a bottomless pit, esp for guys like me with a poorly controlled collector gene. One good thing though, they don't take up as much room as rifles, swords, or shells!
 
🤑 Every time I look at the few States notes I have, I think I should pick up a few more. Then I get out Shull's "Southern States Currency" and start paging through it. Yikes! You are right, this could be a bottomless pit, esp for guys like me with a poorly controlled collector gene. One good thing though, they don't take up as much room as rifles, swords, or shells!

Very true.. I fortunately started collecting them many years ago as a teen, when most could be obtained for just a few bucks. Paper related items hadnt caught up in the collector market demands just yet. Over the years intermittently picking up a few here and there... Suddenly one day realized I had well over 400 currency notes and bonds. Changed focus to just those related to my native state... State treasury, obsolete/dead bank notes, local fractional currency as well as the usual CS govt notes and bonds. All are civil war era or before. Once had the honor and privilege to meet, sit and chat a bit with Grover Criswell.. whom was the early trailblazer of currency collecting and established the first systematic identification and classification of CS notes and bonds. Fascinating individual, learned a lot more than I would ever have gleened otherwise. I still have the notated and autograph signed currency collector book I got from him.
 
Very nice. Is your collection still that large (or larger)? Must be a nice one. I did not start collecting back then, although I remember having a set of the orange colored repro notes and a grey felt kepi. During the centennial I remember one of the guys at the local museum taking much time with us kids, telling stories and explaining the museum's small collection of relics and artifacts. Have always been CW focused, but didn't start spending $ on collecting until 8-10 years ago.
 
I can't help but notice the beehive on the face of the note.One of the earlier $20.00 notes has a similar beehive along with the likeness of Industry , Cupid and Alexander Stephens. This note was printed by B.Duncan though Keatinge + Ball made the plates, I believe. And I see where the American Bank Note Company had a branch office in New Orleans. This branch was later changed to the Southern Bank Note Company. Which firm printed the Louisiana notes? Were any of the major printers who did the work for the Confederate Government also engaged in the printing of State notes as well?
 
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I can't help but notice the beehive on the face of the note.One of the earlier $20.00 notes has a similar beehive along with the likeness of Industry , Cupid and Alexander Stephens. This note was printed by B.Duncan though Keatinge + Ball made the plates, I believe. And I see where the American Bank Note Company had a branch office in New Orleans. This branch was later changed to the Southern Bank Note Company. Which firm printed the Louisiana notes? Were any of the major printers who did the work for the Confederate Government also engaged in State notes as well?

Shull's book doesn't list the printer for this series (2nd series), which was printed in Baton Rouge. The first was printed in New Orleans. For awhile later on the production was from B. Duncan in SC, so yes, the big printers did State notes as well. You can see the difference in quality between this printer and the B. Duncan notes.
 
Very nice. Is your collection still that large (or larger)? Must be a nice one. I did not start collecting back then, although I remember having a set of the orange colored repro notes and a grey felt kepi. During the centennial I remember one of the guys at the local museum taking much time with us kids, telling stories and explaining the museum's small collection of relics and artifacts. Have always been CW focused, but didn't start spending $ on collecting until 8-10 years ago.
Thanks for asking. My collection has grown fairly large. I’ve been digging artifacts for 40 years now.
 
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