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Auction: 314 - Numismatic Collector's Series Sale
Lot: 152

T-47. $20. 1862. Cr.345. PF-1. XX-1/B1. #2687. Plate N. PMG Fine 12. Female, wheat, and shield. Hunter, right. Internal tear. Some age toning spots. No other CSA type has generated more controversy than the T-47 or T-48 notes. Typical comments include "FANTASY NOTE," "Essay," "bogus," "contemporary test design, and enigmatic." Grover Criswell considered them to be part of the 72-note Confederate type set, and many major collections included them as a result. George Tremmel lists them as "Fantasy Notes," immediately following the Female Riding Deer notes in his section on Fantasy and Bonus notes. Pierre Fricke says "I don´t own nor am I seeking examples for my collection," implying that he doesn´t believe they are regular issues. This cataloguer leans toward Tremmel´s and Fricke´s points of view. The imprint at the bottom says "KEATINGS & BALL" instead of "KEATINGE & BALL." (Counterfeiters somtimes do this to make it easy for them to identify their own work.) The signatures are printed, unlike any other regular issues of 1862. All of the notes are Plate N, and the top and bottom margins tend to be broad, indicating that they may have been printed from a single one-postion plate. Why are there 13 stars on the shield? The paper and printing quality don´t seem to match the regular issues. The controversy continues to swirl, but one thing is certain - in auction after auction collectors have voted with their dollars to establish that these "Essays" are very desirable notes, and certainly worthy of an honored place in any advanced CSA paper money collection.

Sold for
$1,600