1873 0 State of Florida 6% Gold Bond – Rare

Description

1873 0 State of Florida 6% Gold Bond – Rare
Offered for your consideration is a 0 bond issued during the Reconstruction Era, with the interest and principal being payable in gold coin. It was catalogued by the late Grover Criswell as CR. 73A (though the specimen he examined apparently had no printer’s name on it – this one does). This bond features three vignettes at the top center, the middle one being a representation of the state’s historic coat of arms. This scene depicts a Seminole maiden spreading flowers by the shore, with a single cocoa palm at the center. The sun’s rays appear above a mountain range (somewhat odd for Florida) in the background, while a sidewheel steamer enters the scene from the right. The vignette to the left features two classical styled figures, one probably representing Commerce (he is holding a caduceus), while the other may be Columbia (a representation of the United States). This second figure points with an outstretched hand toward a harbor filled with ships, while her other hand holds a quill pen. The vignette at the right depicts a mill by a stream, surrounded by large trees and accessed by a path. Above, presented in bold letters, is “
STATE OF FLORIDA
/
SIX PER CENT. BOND
”, while below is printed “
INTEREST PAYABLE SEMI ANNUALLY IN AMERICAN GOLD COIN
”. A lengthy financial obligation appears below, stating (in part) “
Know all men by these presents, that the State of Florida, justly owes to the bearer, for value received, the sum of One hundred Dollars, redeemable in lawful currency of the United States of America … on the first day of January, 1903, with interest thereon, in American Gold Coin, at the rate of Six per centum per annum …
”. It further states that “
… This Bond is one of a series of like date limited to One million Dollars, issued in accordance with an Act of the Legislature … entitled “An Act relating to the Indebtedness of the State.”
”. It concludes “
… in Testimony Whereof, the Governor and Treasurer of the said State of Florida have signed these presents, and the Secretary of the State has attested the same and affixed the great Seal of the State of Florida hereto, and the Comptroller has countersigned the same, and signed the interest Coupons hereto attached, as required by law. Done at the Capitol in Tallahassee, this first day of January, One thousand eight hundred and seventy three.
”, followed by the four signatures as stated above. These signatures are “
O. B. Hart
” as “
Governor
”, “
Saml B McLin
” as “
Secretary of State
”, “
Chas H Foster
” as “
Treasurer
”, and “
C A Cowgill
” as “
Comptroller
”. The seal is present at left, while the denomination, in gold, appears amid the financial obligation. All of the foregoing elements are enclosed in a decorative, rectangular green frame, within which is printed “
United States of America
”, neatly separating them from the coupons, all of which have been redeemed. The back, printed in brown ink, features a short recapitulation of the terms of the bond, as well as Section 5 from “
AN ACT RELATING TO THE INDEBTEDNESS OF THE STATE
”. The bond was printed by “
Henry Seibert & Bros, Ledger Building, Cor. William & Spruce St. N.Y.
”, as evidenced by their imprint on both sides of the piece. A purple stamp, reading “
INCLUDED IN WARRANT / NO. 1273, JUNE 27, 1903
”, appears on both sides as well. The seller is unaware of how many of these bonds have survived the ravages of 100+ years (it was listed as R-10 in the Criswell reference, though he never assigned a specific range of extant specimens in a scale), but we do know that they are rarely offered in the current market. A great opportunity to add one to your collection.
Ossian Bingley Hart
was born on January 17, 1821 in Jacksonville, Florida to Isiah Hart, one of the city’s founders. He read law with his father and Florida Supreme Court Justice Joseph Lancaster, was admitted to the bar in 1842, and subsequently opened a practice in Jacksonville. He moved to Fort Pierce in 1843 or 1844 (sources vary), and in 1845 became a state representative for St. Lucie County. He relocated to Key West in 1846 and resumed the practice of law, remaining there for ten years. He then moved to Tampa, where he defended a slave named Adam, who was accused of murder. Sadly, though Hart was able to have the original verdict appealed, Adam was lynched when an order was issued for a retrial. During the Civil War, Hart, a Republican and openly opposed to secession, experienced some difficult and trying times. At the conclusion of the war, Hart helped re-establish the state and local Jacksonville government. In 1868 he was appointed a justice of the Florida Supreme Court. Following an unsuccessful congressional bid in 1870, Hart served as Florida’s governor from January 7, 1873 through March 18, 1874. His term was shortened by the onset of pneumonia, caused by the stress of the campaign. Ossian B. Hart died on March 18, 1874 in Jacksonville, Florida, and was buried in that city’s Evergreen Cemetery.
The presently offered specimen exhibits signs of significant period use, as well as less than ideal long-term storage. Toning is present across the entire surface, somewhat darker at the edges and on the mostly blank back. The paper exhibits a beige to light tan hue, with numerous small foxing spots scattered throughout the design. This toning has additionally dulled the green frame, as well as the gold denominational overprint. Though toned, the contrast is average for the issue, with all of the elements fully visible (the signatures are somewhat light, especially that of the comptroller). Numerous storage folds are present, several of which have seriously weakened the paper, causing separations at the junctions and edges (some of these have been strengthened with archival tape, others could be done at the discretion of the purchaser). The top edge is somewhat ragged, while the lower one is irregular due to the removal of the coupons. The top corners are both damaged, with the one at the right exhibiting missing paper. Twenty individual cancellation holes are noted, along with twenty-eight “
PAID
” punch cancels. Measuring approximately 13½ x 16⅞ inches, this historic piece would look great framed and hanging in an office or den, especially in Florida. Impressive.
A .95 charge will be added to the winning bid for postage and insurance.
A .00 charge will be added to any item picked up in person at our physical location.
If you have any questions regarding this item, please ask before purchasing.
Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
American Coins and Collectibles
Shreveport, LA