Description:

Republic of Texas
Austin, TX, ca. 1839-40
(3) Texas Currency Notes - $20, $50
Currency
A collection of three Republic of Texas "redback" notes: two $20 notes and one $50 note. All three measure approximately 7" x 3", [Austin, Texas], dated 1839-1840. All of the bills are signed by President Mirabeau B. Lamar and the Treasurer of the Republic of Texas. One of the $20 notes has a large hole at the top with a smaller hole to the right. All three notes have varying degrees of toning, soiling, and wear. All boldly signed.

1. $20 Republic of Texas Note, issued May 15, 1839. No. 256, signed "Mirabeau B. Lamar" as President and "James Webb" as Acting Secretary of Treasury. Decorated with vignettes of Native American hunters and warriors, Lady Liberty, Minerva vanquishing a foe, and a railroad and steamship.
2. $20 Republic of Texas Note, issued January 1, 1840. No. 3412, signed "Mirabeau B. Lamar" as President and "Jas. H. Starr" as Secretary of Treasury. Decorated with vignettes of Native American hunters and warriors, Lady Liberty, Minerva vanquishing a foe, and a railroad and steamship.
3. $50 Republic of Texas Note, issued January 1, 1840. No. 3422, signed "Mirabeau B. Lamar" as President and "Jas. H. Starr" as Secretary of Treasury. Decorated with vignettes of Venus, a steamship and sailing ship, and a portrait of Stephen F. Austin.

In the early days of the Republic of Texas, a variety of currencies were issued. Without gold or silver to back their currency, the government relied on interest-bearing promissory notes which were issued to an individual and redeemable twelve months from date of issue at ten percent interest. Unfortunately, as faith in the Republic's financial system diminished, the notes rapidly lost value. In January of 1839, President Mirabeau Lamar's administration issued a new type of non-interest-bearing paper currency that would eventually become known as "redbacks." Unfortunately, due to the already rampant inflation, these bills were only valued at about $0.37 to the U.S. Dollar and continued to lose value. By 1842, the redbacks had become virtually worthless and had lost the power of legal tender.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 7" x 3"
  • Medium: Currency

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August 7, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000