1880's State of LA Bond & 1885-O Morgan Dollar
Select a Grade: Uncirculated
Bring home the 1880’s Louisiana currency that helped the South rebuild in the aftermath of the Civil War. In the years following, homes andbusinesses had to be rebuilt, and fields that had lain unsown for years had to be replanted. So during the 1880s, the New Orleans Mint issuedthe much-needed “hard cash” – silver dollars – and the state issued the prized Baby Bonds to raise money to help rebuild New Orleans’s portsand Louisiana’s railroads. Now you can accent your collection with a scarce, crisp 1880’s Baby Bond and 1885-O New Orleans Morgan dollarin Uncirculated condition – currency that helped Louisiana rebuild.
According to the Red Book A Guide Book of Southern States Currency, fewer than 2,500 of these sought-after $5 “Baby Bonds” with green serial numbers still survive. Created to fool the federal government, which placed a hefty tax on state bank notes, these $5 notes had interest-bearing coupons to disguise them as bonds. Worth the same as federal currency, Louisianans used them like regular bank notes. Their nickname “Baby Bonds,” comes from the vignette of the young girl in a bonnet. When paired with the 90% silver Morgan dollar from New Orleans, it’s the perfect way to enhance a Civil War collection and pay tribute to the Bayou State.
