1863 State of Alabama $1 Treasury Note – Civil War Currency – Montgomery, Alabama – Criswell Cr. 1
 
Original Civil War-Era State-Issued Currency | January 1, 1863 | Governor John Gill Shorter | Alabama State Capitol | Green ONE DOLLAR Overprint
 
Offered for sale is a historical One-Dollar Treasury Note issued by the State of Alabama, dated January 1, 1863, in Montgomery, Alabama, during the American Civil War.
 
Identified as Criswell Cr. 1, this nineteenth-century banknote represents a state-issued financial obligation produced during a period of significant economic and political instability.
 
Unlike Confederate States of America treasury notes issued directly by the Confederate government, this currency was issued under the authority of the State of Alabama to help facilitate financial transactions and public payments.
 
The obverse features an engraved portrait of Alabama Governor John Gill Shorter on the left, a detailed architectural vignette of the Alabama State Capitol at the center, and a decorative scene incorporating a map of Alabama and a tree on the right.
 
A distinctive green ornamental overprint emphasizes the denomination "ONE DOLLAR" across the lower central portion.
 
The reverse is unprinted, consisting of exposed aged paper, consistent with the original design of this currency issue.
 
This surviving example exhibits substantial evidence of circulation, handling, and age, including discoloration, folds, creases, edge deterioration, and localized paper losses. Despite these condition issues, the principal historical imagery, lettering, and printed details remain recognizable.
 
The accompanying photographs are original high-resolution scans of the exact banknote offered for sale.
 
Historical Background
 
During the American Civil War (1861–1865), Southern state governments faced significant shortages of circulating money, declining financial stability, and disruptions to established banking systems.
 
To support public transactions and government obligations, several Confederate states issued their own treasury notes independently of the Confederate central government.
Alabama was among these states.
 
This one-dollar treasury note was issued in Montgomery, Alabama, on January 1, 1863, approximately two years after Alabama's secession from the United States.
 
Montgomery holds particular historical significance as the first capital of the Confederate States of America. The provisional Confederate government was established there in February 1861 before the capital was relocated to Richmond, Virginia.
 
The central engraving depicts the Alabama State Capitol, an important nineteenth-century government building associated with Alabama's political history and the early Confederacy.
 
The portrait depicts John Gill Shorter (1818–1872), who served as Governor of Alabama from 1861 to 1863.
 
The note includes the printed statement "Receivable in Payment of All Public Dues," reflecting its intended use in satisfying certain financial obligations to the state.
 
It also contains a promise to pay the bearer one dollar in sums of twenty dollars and upwards when presented at the treasury.
 
Following the Confederacy's defeat and the financial collapse of its wartime monetary system, such notes became obsolete.
 
Today, surviving Alabama treasury notes are collected as historical artifacts documenting Civil War-era finance, state government, and nineteenth-century American paper currency.
 
Design Features
 
Obverse – Front
Denomination: One Dollar ($1).
Issuing authority: State of Alabama.
Date: January 1, 1863.
Place of issue: Montgomery, Alabama.
Central engraving: Alabama State Capitol.
Portrait: Governor John Gill Shorter, positioned within an ornamental oval at the left.
Upper-left denomination: Decorative "ONE" inscription.
Lower-left denomination: Second decorative "ONE" inscription.
Upper-right denomination: Large ornamental numeral "1."
Right-side illustration: Tree and map of Alabama.
Central inscription: "The State of Alabama."
Green denomination protector: Large "ONE DOLLAR" overprint.
Payment provision: Promise to pay one dollar in sums of twenty dollars and upwards when presented at the treasury.
Public dues provision: "Receivable in Payment of All Public Dues."
Series designation: Letter B visible at the upper right.
Serial number: Handwritten serial markings near the upper-left portion, appearing to read 92200; unverified.
Signatures: Handwritten-style signatures for the comptroller and governor.
 
Reverse – Back
 
The reverse of this treasury note is intentionally unprinted.
Visible characteristics include:
Natural aged paper coloration.
Widespread toning and discoloration.
Multiple fold lines and surface creases.
Small scattered stains and spots.
Edge wear and localized paper losses.
A darker circular spot near the center-right portion.
Irregularities and deterioration around the corners.
 
The absence of reverse printing is a normal characteristic of this issue and does not indicate that a design is missing.