The secession of the southern states in the early 1860s led to the formation of the Confederacy. After South Carolina seceded on December 20, 1860, seven states followed although it was thought that there would be double that initially. Secession was a delegate decision state by state and after the election and fall of Fort Sumter in April of 1861, some states decided against it. However, once the Confederate States were established, currency circulated heavily throughout the South during the American Civil War. But as we have come to learn throughout this blog series, that currency still was not enough in the South. This led to the enactment of individual states issuing their own currency.
Georgia
When it comes to the secession of the southern states, Georgia’s doing so cemented the position of the Lower South. The fifth state to secede from the Union, a lot of the credit for their decision to break away was said to have been a result of a lot of indoctrination and cornering of the state’s leaders to do so. The final vote on the Ordinance of Secession ended up tallying 208 in favor and 89 against the separation.
While the secession of each state ultimately had them ending up a part of the Confederacy as a whole, it was still stated in the Constitution of the Confederate States that each state had their own rights. Georgia’s governor held the doctrine to that. Governor of Georgia beginning in 1857 to the end of the war, Joseph E. Brown regularly placed the best interests of his state ahead of the Confederate States. This led him to butt heads often with the President of the Confederate States, Jefferson Davis. Brown even went as far as condemning some of the policies set forth by the Confederacy but ultimately ended up following them.
The first notes printed for the state of Georgia came from the Act of December 5, 1861, and were dated January 15, 1862. The notes were redeemable in “Eight per cent State Bonds or Specie Six months after a Treaty of Peace or when the Banks of Savannah and Augusta resume Specie payment if before that time.” Denominations ranged from fractionals like 5 cents all the way up to $500 notes. The state ended up issuing around $20 million in currency but the true worth will never be known as a part of it was exchanged for Treasury Certificates with large denominations. Some of it was destroyed. In the grand scheme of things, Georgia currency notes are some of the most readily available to collectors of the Southern state issues.
Source: Confederate States Paper Money: Civil War Currency From the South (12th Edition) by George S. Cuhaj & William Brandimore