| Criswell
Type 8 (123,564 issued)
Hoyer & Ludwig, Richmond, Virginia,
printers
I chose this note because I am intrigued by George Washington
standing center stage on a Confederate bill. While Washington's
portrait appears on more paper money than any other individual
in American history, I was surprised to find that he appears
on no less than three Confederate notes.* As well, this
engraving appears to be based on the famous Gilbert Stuart
portrait that graces the US $1 bill.
As much as President Washington's appearance may spark a
debate as to whether the North or the South had claim to
Washington's legacy, my guess is that the man who couldn't
tell a lie found his way onto Confederate script out of
expediency rather than ideology. Hoyer & Ludwig were
engaged by Confederate Secretary of the Treasury Memminger
to produce a large quantity of paper money as quickly as
possible. My guess is that they grabbed whatever engravings
they had lying around.
The first six notes issued by the Confederacy were hand
signed by the register and treasurer. After that, because
of the sheer bulk of bills, clerks were hired to sign in
their stead. Because of manpower shortages, most of the
clerks were women, many the wives or daughters of soldiers
who were killed in action.**
If you look at our September 2001 bill, Criswell #3, you
will notice that it was signed by Confederate Treasurer
E. C. Elmore, as well as the new register of the treasury,
Robert Tyler, the son of U.S. President Tyler. This month's
bill, Criswell #8, is one of the first to be signed by the
over 200 clerks hired to sign "For" the Register
and Treasurer. It was signed by R. Hill Jr. and L. J. Levin.***
The image on the left of the bill is the Roman earth goddess
Tellus. She is representative of the all-embracing, all-fertile
mother goddess, which dates from the very earliest times.
*Criwell, Confederate Paper Money 1996, p. 84
**Criwell, Confederate Paper Money 1996, p. 34
***Thian, Register of the Confederate Debt 1880, p. 7
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| Washington's Portrait |
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| Roman Earth Goddess
Tellus |
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