Antique Small

Confederate Paper Collectibles Bring Big Money On EBay

Have you ever seen a Confederate States of America bond?

The Richmond government urgently requiredfunds for its war effort–indeed, for its very viability. As a result, it resorted to common practice politicians have very often done in recent history: it issued bonds. These instruments constituted promises to pay off, at a later date and with interest, the loan that a citizen or other “investor” had made in the Confederate States.

With the CSA’s demise, most of those hopeful loans never got repaid, of course, and the bonds languished in closets and trunks for years.

Nowadays, the bonds that survived these many decades are prized by collectors. And, you can turn around and sell Confederate bonds (along with other types of paper items) on eBay for good money.

The Confederacy’s bond certificates can be appreciated as decorative art (if framed, they should be mounted using archival type materials so as to avoid damage; non-reflective picture-frame glass is also recommended, despite the the additional expense.

The CSA’s government sold a large number and variety of bonds during its short-lived time. The bonds appeared with different face values, and differed a great deal in appearance and even in the color of the paper on which they were issued.

Back then when ornateness was accepted and even expected, the Confederate bonds were vibrant examples artistic flourish. Besides the terms of the certificate printed in cursive script, they often included graphics of country and urban scenes along with people, both real and allegorical.

A typical example would be the $1000 Confederate bond that I bought and had framed several years ago. It is beautiful, having text printed in ornamental italic script and, most prominently, a portrait of the southern hero Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. You probably remember that General Jackson was killed in the confusion of war, after being mistakenly shot by one of his own soldiers during the Battle of Chancellorsville. Being one of the South’s greatest heroes, therefore it was only natural that his visage would come to be looking out from a Confederate bond.

Many Confederate bonds were actually sold abroad, particularly in Britain, and not to the desperately impoverished denizens of the Confederacy. My “Stonewall” bond came from a hoard turned up in England in the 1980s. Such finds come to light every now and then, driving prices down in the paper collectibles marketplace, but the situation is usually temporary. Lately I’ve learned that Stonewall Jacksons are now hard to come across, so I’m extra grateful that I was able to get one when I did.

Buying and selling southern war bonds has become a noteworthy activity within the hobby of scripophily, which refers to the collecting of old financial instruments (including stock certificates, bank notes and railroad bonds, for example) for their historic and artistic value.

If you are a history enthusiast–or if you’re simply looking for a different kind of “art” with which to decorate your home–learning about Confederate war bonds and acquiring a handful carefully chosen examples could turn into a fund and reasonably affordable pastime. Furthermore,It is also a great area to look into if you relish the idea of bringing in money by trading in “paper”–books, magazines, old prints and so on.

Now, leave it to an enterprising English woman to become the foremost authority on making money–even earning one’s living–selling pieces of American paper, not only old currency and bonds but even pages torn out from old magazines. You can read more about this woman’s surprising eBay paper selling method here.