was given to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. This story has no basis in fact. In an 1879 letter to Ebenezer Mason, Davis confirmed that a Union soldier (actually a Federal Officer) stole a coin from one of his wife's trunks, but could not confirm that it was like the then known Confederate half dollar. It is possible that the coin was a gold so-called Jefferson Davis dime struck at the Paris (France) Mint, which Davis described to coin dealer Ed Frossard in an 1880 letter. All known Jefferson Davis dimes were struck in silver at the Paris Mint. The Davis letter is the only known reference to a gold specimen, which was likely a special presentation piece made for Davis. Banknotes Confederate Treasury Notes (banknotes) were ultimately issued in 50¢, , , , , , , , and denominations with a variety of designs, issuers and redeemable obligations. The amount of currency issued under the various acts of the Confederate Congress totaled .7 billion. Bills were released in 72 different note "types" in seven "series" from 1861 through 1864. Since there were many types of Confederate notes as well as notes issued by the states of the Confederacy, and since banks could issue their own notes, counterfeiting was a major problem for the Confederacy. Many of these contemporary counterfeits are identifiable today and they can be as valuable to a collector as a real note. Confederate dollars and coins remain the subject of a lively trade, with careful grading of damage and deterioration similar to booksellers' gradings. Series of CSA notes Banknote printers and engravers Complete typeset of CSA banknotes See also Economy of the Confederate States of America Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which banned the Federal recognition of Confederate debts or currency. Texas dollar United States currency Samuel C. Upham, a notorious counterfeiter of Confederate bills. Notes References Bibliography External links The Story of Confederate Currency Collecting Confederate Paper Money Professional Grading Service Coin Facts Mintmark Numismatics, Inc Photos and descriptions of Confederate Currency in McCune Collection Boston Athenæum: Paper Currency from the Confederate States of America, Digital Collection Civil War Confederate Currency Collection from Georgia State University 1861 establishments in the Confederate States of America Economic history of the American Civil War Confederate States of America currency Currencies introduced in 1861