I recently received this correction from
Crutch Williams of Crutchfield's
Currency:
Gentlemen
I was looking over your website at the currency and found
an error in information. You state with regard to
the T45 $1 1862 Lucy Pickens...
There is only one known counterfeit version of this type.
That is probably because the note has a special green overprint
that was hard to copy and expensive to print. Blanton Duncan
added the overprint because he thought it would "look
better", but quickly dropped the overprint when informed
by Confederate Treasury officials that they would not pay
for the additional prinitng cost***.
Two things actually. The CT45, in my opinion is probably
post war. It would have been too expensive to create
this piece to make it worthwhile. $1 denominations
were worth very little and therefore you see very few counterfeits.
I believe they were made to fill a need for collectors.
Very few original notes exist in high grade and almost all
known of this paticular counterfeit are AU/CU.
Now the actual factual error is you say there is "a
special green overprint". That is NOT a correct
statement. What you have is a TINT PLATE which is
an Under Print. The Tint Plate was printed first and
then the design was printed over that plate. This
process was used on all two color notes 1861 - 1864.
At least this is true on the original notes. I have
not studied the CT's to see if they are OP or not; but,
I can assure you the orignal notes are underprints, or the
actual term is TINT PLATE.
Colonel Blanton Duncan took it upon himself to print a large
run of these notes, as well as the $2, after showing Pope
a sample. Pope was to show them to Memminger and well
Duncan figured it would be approved. Duncan was out
of favor with Memminger by now and Memminger probably didn't
say anything and Duncan continue to print. When he
had finished and delivered a large quantity of the tint
plate notes, he asked to be paid and Pope said Memminger
hadn't given an ok. Duncan went so far as to petition
the Confederate Congress to be paid for his work.
He was never paid as you stated.
The Tint Plate wasn't to make a not "look better";
but, was actually one of the best ways to deter counterfeiting
at the time. High quality paper, with fiber or watermark
were the best types of paper to print notes on but that
paper wasn't available in quantity and wouldn't be
used for change notes in any case. A Tint Plate (design
printed UNDER the major design) was the next best way to
deter counterfeiting in the absence of a back design.
Tint plates were used on almost all issues after 1862 and
on most low run denominations during 1861.
I've enjoyed looking at your site. Just caught the
one statement that isn't correct and thought I'd let you
know.
PS - I disagree with Arlie on Mrs Pickens. (I know
her Great Great Grandson) For a few years some
thought the vignette was Mrs Davis. Mrs Pickens was
used and given the honor as she was revered in the South,
at times called Queen of the South. Real
people, MEN, were used on some of the CSA currency
and allegorical figures on many others and all allegorical
figures were well establised. It would be unthinkable
for an engraver/printer or the Treasury Note Bureau to come
up with a NEW allegorical figure. The $1 was a
logical choice for Duncan, who was in Charleston
SC, as he was always finding ways to gain favor
with anyone and everyone. He came up with the idea
to use Lucy Holcomb Pickens and sent Memminger a "Sample
Note" and he was given the OK to print the issue.
He was never given permission to print the green tint plate.
