BOOK REVIEW: CONFEDERATE ENGRAVERS AND PRINTERS

Engravers and Printers of Confederate Paper Money Book Cover

Engravers and Printers of Confederate Paper Money, by Mark Coughlan, 535 pages, ISBN 9798865899242, 8.5 by 11 format, soft cover with perfect binding. Available on Amazon for $55.00.

Numismatic books take the form of prized references and catalogs, but rarely do they delve into the historical context to place numismatics in the realm of human triumphs and foibles. Mark Coughlan is a master of such writing in his new book, Engravers and Printers of Confederate Paper Money. This is a heavily researched book of more than 500 pages, representing years of effort. The fluid prose and depth of knowledge would suggest that Mr. Coughlan had deep roots in the American South, but he is, in fact, a resident of London whose family has deep roots in the British Isles. Coughlan's uncle rescued many Confederate bonds and treasury notes that had resided in the vaults of a London banker since the Civil War, and eventually gave them to Coughlan, knowing his enthusiasm for that period in history.

The struggles of the Confederacy in its effort to create a money supply are palpable in the historical context provided by Coughlan, and this is what makes the book such compelling reading.

The South had very few resources for printing and engraving, and those that it did were often run by immigrants, such as the German lithographers at Hoyer & Ludwig in Richmond. With the explosive demand for paper money production in the new Confederacy, Christopher G. Memminger, the Secretary of the Treasury and the son of a German quartermaster, turned to the private sector to produce paper money. President Lincoln quickly shut down the first orders at New York firms and Memminger turned to Southern printers. To meet the demand some of these firms hired European engravers and lithographers, many of whom came from England and Scotland. The South had little infrastructure in the making of paper, and Memminger also turned to English paper mills like Hodgkinson's Wookey Hole Mill. Coughlan has unearthed much previously unknown history in the role of English and Scottish engravers, lithographers, and paper mills that you won't find anywhere else in Confederate numismatics. The tour de force of this book is that Coughlan's considerable skills in researching this history extend also to the American South.

To use Coughlan's own words, ...the book is intended to provide a unique, interesting, and enjoyable insight into each of the companies that were involved in the manufacture of Confederates States Treasury notes and bonds. Coughlan also provides an excellent ...overview of the engraving, printing, and paper manufacturing industry as it evolved up until the mid-nineteenth century.... This book takes numismatics to a new level, and it is one of the great contributions to Confederate history.

Without the ability to issue paper money, a national currency, to fuel its fragile war-time economy, the Confederate States of America would not have lasted more than a few months. America was amongst the world leaders in the bank note engraving and printing industry at that time, but this specialised expertise resided in companies based in the North, predominantly in New York City.

So, how exactly did the Confederate States Treasury managed to issue more than $2 billion in Treasury notes and bonds during its short life? Between 1861 and 1865, thirteen different companies – a hotchpotch of the good, the bad, and the ugly – played some part in the engraving and printing work commissioned by the Confederate Treasury department in Richmond. Collectively, these companies manufactured almost 85 million individual Treasury notes; some were also involved in the production of Confederate States bonds and postage stamps, as well as Treasury notes for various Southern States.

This 535-page book, packed with useful information and colourful supporting images, provides an introduction into the world of mid-nineteenth century engraving and printing, and a detailed insight into each of the companies that provided these services to the Confederate States Treasury. Extensive original research by the author reveals the fascinating lives and times of the key people behind these companies, many of them recent emigrants from Great Britain and Europe. Almost every single Confederate States Treasury note bears an imprint from the company that engraved and/or printed it - this book brings those imprints to life, enhancing the collector's knowledge and enjoyment of the notes in their possession.