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50 Cents State of Alabama
| Issuer | State of Alabama |
|---|---|
| Year | 1863 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Cents (0.50) |
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| Obverse description | Cream paper note with black intaglio printing and blue-green tint elements. At centre, an oval vignette of the Alabama state seal with a tree and shield motif, flanked by ornate script lettering reading 'THE STATE OF ALABAMA'; to the right, a second oval vignette of a woman's portrait bust within a guilloche border, above which the numeral '50' appears in a decorative counter. The large denomination '50 Cts' is printed in bold blue tint across the lower centre, with 'FIFTY CENTS' in letterpress along the left border and the place and date 'Montgomery, January 1st 1863' inscribed below, with the Governor's manuscript signature at foot. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | THE STATE of ALABAMA WILL PAY TO BEARER IN Confederate States Treasury Notes When presented at the State Treas.ʸ in sums of TWENTY DOLLARS & upwards 50 Cts FIFTY CENTS Montgomery, January 1ˢᵗ 1863 Receivable in Payment of all Public Dues 2ᴰ SERIES G Engd by J.T. Paterson & Co. Augusta, Ga. Governor |
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| Comments |
Alabama's wartime fractional issues were a direct consequence of coin hoarding — by mid-1862, small silver had essentially vanished from Confederate circulation, forcing individual states to print their own low-denomination paper as a substitute. This 50-cent note is part of that response, authorized under Shorter's administration and printed in Augusta because Alabama's own printing infrastructure couldn't meet demand.
John Gill Shorter signed as governor, though his term ended in late 1863 after a landslide defeat largely blamed on his enforcement of Confederate conscription laws.