Liberty Coin Service (LCS) has made headlines once again with a remarkable find: a February 17, 1864 Confederate States of America $20.00 bill bearing the coveted serial number 1. This exceptional piece of history is set to go under the hammer at Heritage Auctions’ September event in Long Beach, California.
Tom Coulson, LCS owner and general manager, expressed excitement about this latest acquisition, stating, “This is one more example of Liberty handling formerly unknown discovery notes.” Coulson highlighted LCS’s track record, which includes handling the only known survivor of two distinct US government issues and some exceedingly rare privately-issued US obsolete currency.
The Confederate $20.00 note, authorized on February 17, 1864, is part of the final series of Confederate paper money. Featuring the Tennessee state capitol in the center and Confederate Vice President A. H. Stephens at the lower right, the note is printed in black and pink ink on the front, with the back displaying “TWENTY” in faint blue ink. The presence of serial number 1 makes this note especially desirable to collectors, despite it being one of the more common types of Confederate notes.
Tom Coulson explained that the dealer who originally acquired this note recognized LCS’s expertise in rare paper money and sought their assistance. LCS currency specialist Matt Foltz, a member of the Professional Currency Dealers Association, confirmed the note’s authenticity and graded it in Very Fine-20 condition with Paper Money Guaranty (PMG). It has since been consigned to Heritage Auctions, where collectors nationwide will have the opportunity to bid on this prized piece.
The note will be featured as lot 20097 in Heritage Auctions’ September 11-13, 2024 sale. It is expected to fetch around $1,000, although a similar Confederate serial number one note sold for $3,737 in 2011. Interested collectors can view the note and place bids at Heritage Auctions.
Founded in 1971, Liberty Coin Service celebrated its 50th anniversary three years ago. As Michigan’s largest rare coin and precious metals dealership, LCS has been a key player in the numismatic community, serving collectors and investors nationwide from its Lansing location in the Frandor Shopping Center since 1975.