CSA Currency, Advice needed..please.

[Tnmountains]

First he is going to have to let you determine if they are real. If they are real then you will have to look at grading and value, It may not be worth it. I have a few passed down with letters and diary's. Very worn. It may end up being more trouble to sell then worth. They are easily found all over the internet. It would be beyond my expertise to just look out at them. I would have to trust someone that deals in these and then they make an offer so you could flip them.

 

[jasones]

Why don't you take the one you do have to a reputable coin dealer, have him authenticate it for you, and sell it to him? Then go buy a few more and sell them as Nitric suggested. I understand you don't want to lose a lot of money on the deal so take it slow by buying a few at a time. The last thing you want is to later find out they were real and that you missed out on a great opportunity. You already have one bill from the collection. It's at least worth your time to get that one checked out.

 

[DiggerGal]

I disagree and being born and raised in the South and knowing the history, I can clarify this for you. There were very few wealthy Southerners that owned plantations and had a lot of money.
So put, " Gone With The Wind. " out of your mind because that is not how a typical Southerner lived.
For the OP's story to be true we would be dealing with a wealthy Southern in Virginia fearing that the Confederacy would lose and fled with Confederate paper currency to the state of Michigan in which it would be valueless but leave the valuable coinage behind.
Just the denominations of the currency the OP describes would indicate a wealthy plantation owner and not the typical Southern by any means!
So let me get this correct, you think a wealthy Southern took worthless money to Michigan so he could flash paper cash that was worth nothing so the Yankees could laugh and kick dirt on him?
Learn your History my friend ! :
The OP's bills maybe genuine because you could not spend them.
Who ever moved from Virginia to Michigan spent the coins but couldn't spend the worthless paper.
Moving from Virginia to Michigan most have been free back in the 1860's, right?
I seriously don't believe that and that is where all the coins were spent.
Paper= worthless Silver= silver Gold = gold
Right ? Maybe I'm just stupid or something.
Paper is an illusion of real value or money.

I was not insinuating that people in the South did not or do not know their History. What I was stating is that IF they were looking to flee quickly, paper could be guarded as it was something they could carry on their person to the contrary with coins.
I didn't see any part of the original post that stated that this family was wealthy....
I was just trying to think in the eyes of the family that was frightened and fleeing at that particular time.

 

[mrwilburino]

I was not insinuating that people in the South did not or do not know their History. What I was stating is that IF they were looking to flee quickly, paper could be guarded as it was something they could carry on their person to the contrary with coins.

I was thinking along the same lines. Paper money: lighter, more portable, easier to hide. Less likely to survive a building fire or burial in the ground so it would make sense to take it with you. Depending on the time period that they fled north, the currency still may have had some value. There may also have been some hope that the south would rally. Could be that the coins WERE taken north and spent or invested many years ago so they were eventually forgotten about, while the currency became a useless memento of the war. Yes, it's an odd story. I would ask Gramps to let you see the stash and borrow (or buy) a few bills that YOU pick out and then have them appraised by a dealer, as another poster stated.

 

[Argentium]

If the old gentleman is unwilling to allow you to take some of the bills off property for authentication , I see no way to go forward
with a deal here . These have been faked for so long that a saying has come into familiarity " as worthless as a confederate (fill in -
the blank denomination ) bill "

 

[RGINN]

Maybe just tell him to hang onto them, BC1969. Because the south will rise again. But not before about early afternoon tomorrow cause we all had a large time down at the lake last night.

 

[villagenut]

I think most paper currency from this time period looks fake just because they didn't put a lot of time and detail to the reverse as they did the obverse. BC1969, you didn't post any of the reverse so I hope you don't mind me showing how silly it probably looks, based on mine here.Of course the fact that the reverse may look like play money does not mean that it is.