Rarely Offered 1862 Texas Certificate Fundable in 8% State Bonds
Offered for your
consideration is a partly-printed certificate, issued in mid-1862, entitling
the recipient to a specified amount, fundable in 8% bonds of the state. It
states that “This Certificate entitles F M Lewis to Five hundred twenty one dollars
with 8 per cent. interest from date, fundable in the 8 per cent. bonds of the
State of Texas, when presented at the State Treasury, in sums of One Thousand
Dollars: for all sums less than one thousand dollars, a certificate like this
will be issued. ~”. It is dated “the 10th July A D 1862”
and is signed at the conclusion by “J H Thomason” in his capacity as “Agent of Military Board of the State of
Texas”. The back was originally blank, though it now bears a manuscript
statement which indicates that there was “Recd Austin March 7, 1863 of the Military
Board Bond No. 767 for one thousand dollars bearing interest from 10th
July 1862 at 8% per annum and twenty nine 28/100 dollars in Currency in full of
annexed certificates”. This statement is signed by “Jeremiah
Randolph”, with the signature of “F. M. Lewis”, the bearer of the
certificate, appearing below. From the wording of this statement, it appears
that two certificates, as noted in the principal obligation, were presented,
since a one thousand dollar bond was issued, as well as some change (it is
interesting to speculate how the 28 cents were paid, since neither the
Confederacy nor the state of Texas issued coinage or fractional currency at
this time). Documents of this type are rarely offered on today’s collector’s
market, presumably since most were destroyed when exchanged for bonds or after
the close of the war. An example of one of these certificates is illustrated in
the reference book on Confederate interim deposit receipts, though no rarity or
value is listed. They do not appear to be mentioned in any reference book on
Texas financial material, though one author believed that there were no more
than 10 of these forms in existence (whether this number is accurate, the
pieces are certainly rare and almost never offered to collectors). A great item
to add to your collection of Civil War bonds or Texas related material.
Jeremiah
Randolph, who signs the back of the certificate, was born on
November 23, 1803 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. As an adult, Randolph relocated
to Alabama, living first in Madison County and later in Jefferson County. He is
listed as a farmer in the latter county in the 1850 census, though two years
later, he moved to Texas and settled near Huntsville, in Walker County. Here he
owned a sawmill and part interest in a mercantile store, a wonderful outlet for
the furniture and toys that he built. Active in local politics, Randolph was
elected as a representative for Walker County to the Ninth Texas Legislature in
1861, serving from February 2, 1863 to November 2, 1863 (?). Jeremiah Randolph
was mortally wounded by a horse on December 17, 1873 and was buried in Martha
Chapel Cemetery in Walker County, Texas.
No additional information
appears readily available for F. M. Lewis or J. H. Thomason, though the seller
is fairly certain that a local Texas historian would be able to locate these
individuals.
The presently offered
document exhibits signs of expected period use, though it remains in relatively
good condition for its age and intended purpose. Light toning is noted across
the entire surface, imparting an off white to beige hue to the paper. This
toning is slightly more pronounced along the folds and at the edges, which
additionally exhibit several darker stains (these stains only seriously affect
one letter in Lewis’ name). As previously noted when referring to the toning,
several storage folds are present, though none of these seems to have seriously
impacted the integrity of the paper). The edges are slightly irregular, with a
few small paper issues noted, generally associated with the folds. Due to the
thinness of the paper used, all of the manuscript additions are visible to
varying degrees on the side opposite where they were written (this is
particularly true of the lengthy endorsement on the back penned by Randolph). Measuring
approximately 4 x 6¼ inches, this piece would make a great addition to any
Civil War era collection.
A $5.95 charge will be
added to the winning bid for postage and insurance.
A $5.00 charge will be added to any item picked up in person at our
physical location.
If you have any questions
regarding this item, please ask before bidding.
Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2nd Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
American Coins and Collectibles
Shreveport, LA