On February 4, 1861, the Confederate States of America was formed, and almost immediately the first Confederate notes were printed – the famous “Montgomery” notes. These would be followed by many designs over the next four years. The seventy different designs or “type” notes are eagerly sought today by collectors, historians and family historians, and a collection of Confederate currency offers fascinating insights into the tumultuous Civil-War period. Pierre Fricke examines these series of Confederate notes, highlighting the history and circumstances in which they were created. This easy-to-read, fun and educational book offers an introduction to the often beautiful notes that financed the Confederacy.

Since shortly after the end of the Civil War, genuine Confederate paper money has been the subject of much research. While a number of publications are available today that describe and catalog the genuine currency, the availability of published information on its counterfeit counterpart is limited. What is available is somewhat incomplete, inaccurate and general in scope. This work is specifically concerned with the counterfeit currency that was produced and passed with genuine Confederate paper money during the Civil War years. The first part of the book is an historical narrative that discusses the events and people involved in the production and passing of counterfeit currency, and the countermeasures of the Confederate Treasury Department to protect its already weak medium of exchange from losing even more value. The second part of the book is an illustrated catalog that presents descriptions of all known examples of counterfeit Confederate currency. Over 180 illustrations are included and show most of the counterfeit notes. The appendix provides a brief, nontechnical explanation of the printing processes--relief printing, intaglio printing, and lithography--used in the mid-nineteenth century to manufacture counterfeit currency.

A photographic guide to Confederate currency issued by the Confederate States Government during the War Between the States (US Civil War). This must have book for the Confederate currency collector is loaded with reference material and current banknote values. Contains color photos of the actual currency.

When building a collection of Confederate paper money, knowledge of rarity, prices, and especially grading is critical. Fricke provides a thorough introduction.