Wills Valley Railroad Scrip
The Wills Valley Railroad was chartered in 1853 to connect the Chattanooga and
Nashville Railroad at Wauhatchie, TN to Meridan MS. William O. Winston was appointed
president and Abraham Malone Johnson was appointed superintendent Construction did not
start until 1860 and was only completed to Trenton, GA before the Civil War. Mr. Johnston
continued running the railroad under the authority of the Confederate army after the
war began.
The notes were signed by the president, W. O. Winston, or for the president by J. C. Warner, who signed many of the war time Bank of Chattanooga notes.
Initial Type
There are three basic designs of the Wills Valley scrip. The first type
has an ancient train with STATE OF GEORGIA below and has a printed date
of 1859, 1862, February, March and April 1st 1862. The $2 note shown is not listed
in Garland's book.
$2.00 STATE OF GEORGIA, Ancient Train, 1859 printed G-1508.2
Compliments of Gary Doster
$0.25 STATE OF GEORGIA, Ancient Train, 1862 printed G-1494
J. D. Musalas plate note / Schafluetzel Collection
$0.50 STATE OF GEORGIA, Ancient Train, February 1st 1862 G-1497
Compliments of Gary Doster
$0.50 STATE OF GEORGIA, Ancient Train, March 1st 1862 G-1497.1
Compliments of Gary Doster
$0.50 STATE OF GEORGIA, Ancient Train, April 1st 1862 G-1497.2
Compliments of David Marsh
$0.25 STATE OF GEORGIA, Ancient Train, April 1st 1862 G-1496
Compliments of Gary Doster
Second Type
The second type of Wills Valley Railroad notes has STATE OF GEORGIA in the center
with a train at left and was only issued with the April 1st 1862 date on the $1, $2 and
$3 denomination.
Two types of one dollar notes were printed, the key difference is the font and color of
"State of Georgia" and color of "ONE DOLLAR". The two and three dollar numerals were
printed much larger over the already printed one dollar numeral to create the larger
denominations.
$1.00 STATE OF GEORGIA, Train at left, April 1st 1862 G-1507
Compliments of R. M. Smythe auction 274 lot 3091
Schafluetzel / Schingoethe / Collection
$1.00 STATE OF GEORGIA, Train at left, Red, April 1st 1862 G-1507.1
Compliments of R. M. Smythe auction 274 lot 3091
Schafluetzel / Schingoethe / Collection
$2.00 STATE OF GEORGIA, Train at left, April 1st 1862 G-1509.1
Compliments of R. M. Smythe auction 274 lot 3091
Schafluetzel / Schingoethe / Collection
$3.00 STATE OF GEORGIA, Train at left, April 1st 1862 G-1509
Compliments of Gary Doster
Third Type
The third type is the smallest, has a black train above with printed
dates of April and July 1st 1862.
$0.10 Black Train, April 1st 1862 , 1st car has cupolas G-1498.1
Compliments of R. M. Smythe auction 274 lot 3091
Schafluetzel / Schingoethe / Collection
$0.25 Black Train, April 1st 1862, 1st car no cupolas G-1499
$0.25 Black Train, April 1st 1862, last car has cupolas G-1500
Compliments of David Marsh
$0.50 Black Train, April 1st 1862, 1st car no cupolas G-1503
$0.50 Black Train, April 1st 1862, last car has cupolas G-1504
$0.25 Black Train, July 1st 1862, 1st car no cupolas G-1501
$0.25 Black Train, July 1st 1862, last car has cupolas G-1502
Compliments of R. M. Smythe auction 274 lot 3091
Schafluetzel / Schingoethe / Collection
$0.50 Black Train, July 1st 1862, 1st car no cupolas G-1505
Compliments of David Marsh
