Sell Treasury Notes of the War of 1812 to the Best Buyer in Las Vegas & Henderson, NV

In general, a Treasury Note is a short-term debt instrument. The United States issued these Notes before the establishment of the Federal Reserve System back in 1913. The United States government relied on these instruments for funding during periods of financial hardship, including the 1812 War, the 1837 Panic, and the American Civil War since there were no other options, such as federal paper money or a central bank.

While the Treasury Notes were neither legal tender nor representational money, citizens used some of them as money in place of official government paper money. However, instead of providing a circulating medium, its issue was always motivated by supporting federal expenditures. 

These notes would usually have hand signatures and a large denomination of at least $50 worth of paid interest. They were also payable and would mature in no more than three years. However, specific issues lacked one or more of these features.

Brief History

The history of treasury notes stemmed from the unstable early finances of the United States’ central government. Between 1775 and 1779, the Continental Congress created Continental Dollars to aid in the financing of the American Revolution. Continental Dollars should have entitled the holder to an equal quantity of silver Spanish Milled Dollars. However, they depreciated repeatedly, and people never redeemed them in silver despite the American victory.

With the destiny of the Continentals in mind, the Founding Fathers made no provision for paper money in the Constitution. They also forbade these states from making anything other than gold or silver legal tender. Citizens redeemed about Continental Dollars at about 99% loss compared to their face value as part of the 1790 Compromise. However, the United States chose to fulfill its revolutionary war bond obligations in full by pledging publicly owned land and the new federal government’s credit against the bonds. As a result, America’s early creditors had good reason to be skeptical of paper money and a good reason to respect the country’s obligation.

When the declaration of the 1812 War hampered the government’s ability to raise money through the sale of long-term bonds, the US had neither paper currency nor a central bank. That is why it used its borrowing authority to issue short-term debt in the form of Treasury Notes payable for public dues or bond purchases. After setting a precedent, the Treasury continued to issue such notes on a sporadic basis until the Civil War.

Treasury Notes During the 1800s

From 1812 until 1815, the US Government issued Treasury Notes in several different denominations. The majority of these notes paid 525% interest (or 112 cents per day on a $100 note), had a one-year maturity, and citizens could use them to pay public dues. While the US Government issued around $37 million, citizens could only access around $17 million at any given time.

As the war carried on, the federal government’s finances deteriorated, and on August 31, 1814, banks outside of New England ceased specie payment. The value of Treasury Notes has fallen below the value of gold. On October 1, 1814, when the government attempted to withdraw deposits from a Boston bank to cover interest payments, the bank stated it could present Treasury Notes to the government. However, holders of government bonds rejected these Treasury Notes and were expecting cash payment. 

These events resulted in the final Treasury Note Act of the era, which the US government signed on February 24, 1815. These last notes were divided into large, which is $100 and up, and small, which is $100 and under denominations, and they did not have an expiration date. The country continued to use these huge notes in paying interest at 525% per year as well as funding 6 percent interest bonds at par.

Characteristics of Treasury Notes

The US Government redeemed Treasury Notes at face value for two things. One is for the payment of taxes and the second is for the purchase of publicly owned land. Hence, everyone considered it as paper money to some extent. The interest rate was determined to make interest computations as simple as possible on several issues, with a $100 note paying either 1, 112, or 2 cents each day.

Second, the issues made were not significant. The value of these notes fluctuated, being worth more or less than par depending on market conditions. Moreover, these issues quickly vanished from the financial system once the Government finally resolved the crisis that prompted their issuance in the first place.

Most treasury notes were non-legal tender antebellum Treasury Notes. However, the term became synonymous with various legal tender instruments as a result of financial innovations during the Civil War. These legal tender instruments include US Notes of 1862 and the Compound Interest Treasury Notes of 1863.  

The introduction of these new obligations, combined with changes brought about by the National Banking Act, effectively eliminated most of the use of the old Treasury Notes as money. Then, the term Certificate of Indebtedness was coined to refer to new notes that had the pre-war notes’ debt-like characteristics. Treasury bills currently meet the Treasury’s short-term debt requirements.

Best Buyer of Treasury Notes

Nevada Coin Mart is the best place to sell your treasury notes. We test items using non-destructive ways to examine the condition and value of your treasury notes and other valuables. If you have one at home, consider selling it at Nevada Coin Mart to make some significant and quick cash. Simply bring them in, and we will help you get the most money for them. We are open from 9 AM to 6 PM every day of the year. Visit us at Nevada Coin Mart®, 4065 S. Jones Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89103, or call us at 702-998-4000 for more information.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasury_Note_(19th_century)#:~:text=Several%20issues%20of%20Treasury%20Notes,in%20payment%20for%20public%20dues.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2120556?seq=1

https://www.kagins.com/treasury-notes-of-the-war-of.html