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| Issuer | Republic of Texas, Treasury |
|---|---|
| Year | 1839-1841 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | P#22 |
| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in black on white paper and carries a central vignette of a reclining female allegorical figure accompanied by a cornucopia and barrels, flanked to the left by a standing Native American warrior figure. A large guilloche-style numeral "1" panel appears at each lateral margin, with the bold letterpress inscription "THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS" across the center. The hand-signed lower portion bears manuscript signatures of the Treasurer and Comptroller, with the date and serial number completed in manuscript. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is largely plain, with a faint blue-tinted underprint pattern visible across the surface. The note has been repaired with several paper tape reinforcements applied over tears and folds, which are clearly visible. No significant printed design elements appear on this side. |
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| Comments |
The Republic of Texas printed its own currency out of sheer necessity — no established bank of issue existed, and the young republic's credit was essentially worthless on international markets. These Treasury notes, authorized under acts passed between 1838 and 1840, were legal tender for taxes and government dues but circulated at heavy discounts against specie almost immediately. By some contemporary accounts, red-back notes of this period traded at fifteen to twenty cents on the dollar in New Orleans.
Austin printing under frontier conditions meant quality control was inconsistent. Paper supply was irregular, and surviving examples frequently show uneven ink distribution — a production artifact, not damage.