Original 1860s US Treasury Fractional Currency Shield Framed

Original 1860s US Treasury Fractional Currency Shield Framed

The original fractional currency shield is an iconic piece of American history, and one that we haven’t had in our collection in over 20 years! Consisting of 39 total notes, it was issued from 1866-1869 and sold by the Treasury Department to banks for $4.50 at the time!

Today’s paper currency has watermarks and security stripes/holograms to detect counterfeit bills, but post-Civil War America was obviously not as technologically advanced as we are today. By simply comparing individual fractional currency notes to the corresponding original note issued in the shield, the bank could match up the two pieces and confirm whether the note was real or not. While it may seem simple and somewhat archaic, it was the best option in the late 1860’s. If you were to walk into a bank today and one of these original shields were hanging from the wall, you’d immediately be drawn to it and want to know more about the amazing history behind it!