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Related Western & Atlantic RR
Construction Issues
The twelve and a half cent note is illustrated in Dr. John A. Mauscalus'
book "Georgia Railroad Currency Comprehensively Illustrated". Little is
know except that it was payable in Lafayette, GA. The author indicated
it was probably from the 1840s, a period during which the railroad was
under construction.
A 6 1/4 cent notes is also known.
$0.12 1/2 W&A RR, Engine, 1840s? (Copy) G-1493.31
$1.00 W&A RR, Ship, March 12, 1842, G-1493.01.2
Courtesy of Claud Murphy / Ken Latimer
$5.00 W&A, FIVE DOLLARS across, June 1, 1840, G-1493.05.1
Courtesy of Mack Martin
$5.00 W&A, R: Train, L: Washington, Jan. 1, 1841, G-1493.05.2
Courtesy of Ken Latimer
$5.00 W&A, Top: Train, R&L: Eagle, June 1, 1842, G-1493.05.3
Courtesy of Mack Martin
$10.00 W&A RR, TEN DOLLARS across, June 1, 1841, G-1493.10.1
$10.00 W&A RR, State of GA seal left, 184_, G-1493.10.2
Complements Lyn Knight - Ken Latimer
$10.00 W&A RR, Train, R&L: Eagle, January 1, 1842, G-1493.10.3
$20.00 W&A RR, TWENTY DOLLARS across, January 1, 1840,
G-1493.20.1
Smythe Auction Sep 2003 lot 1482
$20.00 W&A RR, L: Train, R&L: Solder & Flag, January
1, 1842, G-1493.20.3
Courtesy of Claud Murphy / Ken Latimer
$50.00 W&A RR, FIFTY DOLLARS across, June 1, 1840, G-1493.50.1
All of the Western and Atlantic railroad construction notes are rare
(1 to 6 known). The notes appear to be of three different types. The Type
1 notes have the denomination printed across both ends in a printers design.
The Type 1 notes are know in $5, $10, $20 and $50 denominations ($100
may exist) and are dated 1/1/1840, 6/1/1840 and 1/1/1841.
Type 2 notes are similar to obsolete bank notes of the period with vignettes
at the top center, left and right. The $5 denomination has a W&A seal
at left and Washington at right dated 1/1/1841 or 7/1/1841. The $10 note
is known only in unissued condition.
Type 3 notes have a train at the top with circular printer designs at
each corner and an identical vignette between the printer designs. Notes
of $5, $10 and $20 dated 1/1/1842 or 6/1/1842 are known.
Only eight Western and Atlantic construction notes have been offered
for public sale in the past seven years. Three in the Smythe sale of June
1997: Lot 1155 $5 June 1, 1840 G/VG(probable Type 1 based on date); Lot
1156 $50 July 1, 1841 VF/XF (Type 1 based on catalog picture); Lot 1157
$5 January 1, 1842 Fine (Type 3 based on date), one in the Smythe sale
of September 2003: Lot $20 January 1, 1841 VF(Type 1 shown above). E-Bay
sale of 3/24/04: $5 VF Type 2, Lyn Knight Sale at Memphis June 2004: Lot
2157 $5 VG + $20 F both T-1 notes and Lot 2158 $10 AU Type 2 unissued.
Reconstructed sheets
A hoard of canceled Western & Atlantic Railroad Change Bills was thrown
away from a Georgia museum about 1990. An employee of the museum recovered
the notes from the trash and saved them after assuring the museum intended
to dispose of them. He sold them to dealers over the next several years.
Claud Murphy acquired a large number of them and studied them extensively.
Claud determined that there were six notes of the small denominations
(i.e., less than $1) printed on each sheet. He determined this by reconstructing
a full sheet, from sequentially numbered bills. Series A, K and L are
numbered starting at the upper left and proceeding down to the lower left,
then from the upper right to the lower right. All of the other series
are numbered as shown on the reconstructed sheet displayed below.
To determine the location of a specific note divide the serial number
by six. The remainder is the note position using the appropriate layout.
Minor differences in the bills are noted at specific locations on the
complete sheets of all series, including bills with a long end car without
vents on top (right center). The small denomination W & A RR title on
the bills comes in both block and serf font(right center & lower). The
top left note has the final l in will broken off. The notes on the right
capitalize Five Dollars, while the ones on the left have five dollars
in lower case. The middle right note has the top of the first E in WESTERN
missing a semicircular piece.
"Will pay the bearer..." is indented on some notes for series A through
E and not on others which is probably related to the location on the sheet
(plate block). Series F through M is not indented. Will is capitalized
on some un-intendted scrip.
$0.25 reconstructed sheet W&A RR Change bills
Errors
A number of spectular errors are known on the W & A notes.
Error - Offset double red printing
Courtesy of Claud Murphy / Ken Latimer
Error - Black printed diagonally on back
Courtesy of Claud Murphy / Ken Latimer
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