Catalog
5 Dollars 'Redback'
| Issuer | Republic of Texas Treasury Department |
|---|---|
| Year | 1839-1841 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Dollars |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is laid out in a typeset letterpress style with large ornate numeral 5 vignettes at left and right corners, the word FIVE printed vertically along the left border within a decorative panel. A central engraved vignette shows a classical allegorical scene with a seated female figure and ruins in the background, flanked by the bold inscription THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS in large display type. A small portrait vignette of a man appears at the lower right, with manuscript signatures and a serial number across the lower portion of the note. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in red ink — the characteristic feature that gave this series the 'Redback' nickname — with a large five-pointed star at center, surrounded by elaborate scrollwork and guilloche ornaments in each corner. Two circular decorative frames flank the central star, and the denomination numeral 5 appears within the corner vignettes. The inscription TEXAS is spelt out across the design. |
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| Comments |
The Republic of Texas issued several series of treasury notes in its brief existence, and the so-called "Redbacks" — named for their distinctive red ink on the reverse — are among the more notorious. Authorized under the Act of January 1839, they were printed in excessive quantities relative to any realistic tax base, and public confidence collapsed quickly. By 1842, they were trading at roughly two cents on the dollar against specie.
Printing was done in New Orleans, not within the republic itself. The Texas treasury had neither the infrastructure nor the equipment to produce its own currency.