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50 Dollars
| Issuer | Confederate States of America |
|---|---|
| Year | 1864 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | 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 | 1865 |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Entirely engraved in blue, the reverse is dominated by a large lathe-work guilloche pattern filling the central field, with the word 'FIFTY' printed in large outline letters across the centre. The numeral '50' appears in circular guilloche medallions at each of the four corners, and a decorative border of fine engine-turned work frames the entire design. |
| Reverse lettering | FIFTY 50 |
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| Comments |
By 1864, the Confederacy's currency had collapsed in practical terms — inflation was so severe that this $50 note was worth perhaps $1 in gold at the time of printing. Keatinge & Ball, operating out of Columbia, South Carolina, had become the primary Confederate printer after the Union naval blockade cut off access to northern and British suppliers. They worked under constant material shortages, substituting inferior inks and paper stock as the war progressed.
Columbia was burned in February 1865 during Sherman's march, destroying much of the firm's remaining inventory and equipment. Notes from this final series survive in relatively high numbers because collapse came before full distribution.