1864 Confederate States of America $20 Treasury Note – Civil War Currency – T-67 – Richmond, Virginia
 
Original Civil War-Era Confederate Currency | February 17, 1864 | Alexander H. Stephens Portrait | Tennessee State Capitol | Circulated Condition
 
 
Offered for sale is a Confederate States of America Twenty-Dollar Treasury Note dated February 17, 1864, issued in Richmond, Virginia, during the final years of the American Civil War.
 
Identified by its design as the Criswell Type T-67, this historical banknote features a detailed engraving of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee, along with a portrait of Alexander H. Stephens, who served as Vice President of the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865.
The reverse features an elaborate blue ornamental design, with the word "TWENTY" prominently displayed across the center and the denomination "20" positioned within all four corners.
 
The note is an example of the final major Confederate currency issue of 1864, produced during a period of severe economic instability, inflation, and financial uncertainty.
 
This particular example has survived more than 160 years and displays extensive evidence of age, circulation, and handling. Its original design remains substantially recognizable despite noticeable wear and damage.
 
The photographs accompanying this listing are actual high-resolution scans of the exact banknote offered for sale.
 
Historical Significance
 
The Confederate States of America issued treasury notes throughout the American Civil War to finance government expenditures and military operations.
 
The February 17, 1864 issue was authorized during a period when the Confederate government was attempting to address mounting inflation and declining public confidence in its currency.
 
The note contains a printed promise to pay the bearer twenty dollars two years after the ratification of a treaty of peace between the Confederate States and the United States.
 
Because the Confederacy was defeated in 1865 and no such treaty was ratified, this payment obligation was never fulfilled as originally contemplated.
 
An interesting historical detail is the depiction of the Tennessee State Capitol. Nashville had already fallen under Union control in February 1862, approximately two years before this note's issue date.
 
Today, surviving examples are collected as artifacts of Civil War history, nineteenth-century financial practices, and American numismatics.
 
Obverse – Front Design
 
The front of the note contains several distinctive features:
Central engraving: Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee.
Portrait: Alexander H. Stephens, Confederate Vice President, positioned within an ornamental oval at the right.
Denomination: Large vertical "TWENTY" panel along the left side.
Upper-right corner: Decorative numeral "20" within an engraved medallion.
Issuing authority: "The Confederate States of America."
Issue date: February 17, 1864.
Place of issue: Richmond, Virginia.
Payment provision: Printed promise to pay twenty dollars to the bearer following the specified peace-treaty conditions.
Signatures: Handwritten-style treasury signatures along the lower portion.
Serial numbering: Visible handwritten serial markings.
Series designation: Small printed series identification near the left border.
 
Reverse – Back Design
 
The reverse features a predominantly blue ornamental printing scheme characteristic of this Confederate issue.
Its decorative elements include:
Large central "TWENTY" inscription in stylized lettering.
Four circular denomination medallions displaying "20."
Repeating geometric patterns and fine-line engraving.
Symmetrical decorative elements along the upper and lower borders.
Intricate ornamental patterns surrounding the central denomination.
 
Despite age-related discoloration, the blue printing remains substantially visible.