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10 Cents State of Alabama
| Issuer | State of Alabama |
|---|---|
| Year | 1863 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The upper portion carries the bold arched legend THE STATE OF ALABAMA flanking a central oval vignette with a tree set against a map-like outline of Alabama. A circular guilloche counter at the upper right bears the numeral 10, while a vertical letterpress panel at the left edge repeats the denomination TEN CENTS. The body of the note carries the redeemability clause in letterpress script, with the date line Montgomery, January 1st 1863 and a manuscript signature below. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely unprinted, presenting a plain expanse of aged buff paper with no vignette, text, or ornamental device of any kind. |
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| Comments |
Alabama was one of the few Confederate states to issue its own fractional currency alongside Confederate federal issues — a response to the near-total disappearance of small coinage from circulation by mid-war. Hoarding had stripped the South of virtually every silver cent and nickel, and the Confederate government was slow to address the gap. Individual states, cities, and even private merchants filled the void with their own scrip, most of it of dubious enforceability.
Montgomery-printed issues from this period are known for uneven impression quality, reflecting wartime paper and ink shortages. Many examples survived in poor condition simply because they circulated hard in a short window before Confederate currency collapse made all such instruments worthless.