Southern State Issued
Currency of Florida During the Civil War
On January 10, 1861, Florida became the
3rd State to secede from the Union. Florida was an important source
of salt and food for the Confederacy. Strategically important
coastal cities, such as Jacksonville and Saint Augustine, switched
hands between the Union and Confederacy but the interior of the
state remained under Confederate control. On April 1, 1865, as the
Confederacy was collapsing, Florida Governor John Milton committed
suicide at his home near Marianna. In his last message to the
legislature, he had said, "Death would be preferable to reunion."
When Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia
in 1865, Tallahassee was the only Southern capital east of the
Mississippi still held by Confederate forces. During the Civil War
the State of Florida authorized 5 different issues of currency,
commencing with the 1st Issue in Sept. and Oct. 1861, 2nd Issue of
Jan. 1, 1862, the 3rd Issue of March 1, 1863, the 4th Issue of Jan.
1 and March 1, 1864, and ending with an "eleventh hour" 5th issue
that was dated Jan. 1, 1865. These extremely rare 5th issue notes
were only printed in denominations of $50 and $100. Although they
are dated Jan. 1, 1865, these notes were not released until after
April 1, because they bear the signature of Governor Abraham
Allison, who became the governor following Milton's suicide on
April 1, 1865. All State of Florida notes are plain back
notes.
1861 Issue
1861 Issued Notes featuring the allegorical
figure of Ceres.
Rare version of the 1861 issued $50 note
where the word "FIFTY" is printed upside down
1861 Issued Notes featuring George
Washington and the allegorical figure of Tellus.
1862 Issue
1862 Issued Notes with slaves carrying
cotton and the vignette of the allegorical figures of Ceres seated
between Commerce and Navigation.
1863 Issue
;
Fractional Notes
$1 Note with slave carrying
cotton. $2 Note with a
train, barebreasted maiden
$3 Note with an oval
containing Justice and Ceres seated, a vignette of St. Catherine of
Alexandria, and a central portrait of a sailing
ship.
1864 Issue
$1 Note with slave carrying
cotton. $3 Note with a sailing
ship.
$5 Note with a vignette of Moneta seated and
an Indian warrior on the left side of the note
$10 Note with Cere seated and a slave picking
cotton
;
