Authentic Montgomery County
Currency from 1862
By Larry Foerster

Local historian Kameron Searle introduced me to a Texas historical currency expert named Jim Bevill concerning a $1 Dollar Montgomery County Scrip issued October 24, 1862, that was brought to my attention from the County Judge’s office. Based upon the information Jim gave me verifying it authenticity, I returned today to the owner of the scrip (a 90 year old man and his 86 year old wife near Cleveland) and purchased it for our Montgomery County Heritage Museum. To my knowledge this may be the only such Montgomery County currency that anyone in Montgomery County has seen in the last 100 years.
 

I scanned the document in today. The old man worked for the railroad for probably 40 years and acquired it from an individual in Illinois several years ago. It is amazing that over the last 152 years it has worked its way from Montgomery County to Illinois and back to Texas. 
 

Kameron Searle sent me a photo taken of Appleton Gay, the County Clerk who hand signed the note on October 24, 1862.
 

Appleton Gay was Montgomery County Clerk from 1852-1866 according to Montgomery County History, 1981.
 

Appleton Gay  is buried in Old Methodist Cemetery in Montgomery, Texas

Montgomery County Chief Justice Bell also hand signed it. (Note: we would call him a County Judge today.) It is also numbered and dated by hand in black ink. [Henry R Bell was Chief Justice 1859-1865 according to Montgomery County History, 1981.]

Jim also referred me to a website SMU Rowe-Bar Collection of Texas Currency that features other rare Montgomery County currency from the 1862 series: 

Jim’s response to my inquiry about this 1862 document is found below.
 

My best guess is that this may have been issued by the County during the Civil War since there was not much available currency.

Yes, that is correct.
 

The County would have used much like a “warrant of payment” that were popular in some Texas counties up  until the 1930’s or so. 

All of these were issued in 1862.

There was a previous issue of $1 Montgomery County scrip issued in 1838, but the name of the county was written in, evidencing that it may have been used for other counties too.
 

The paper was evidence that the County would stand behind its “Montgomery County Scrip.”

Yes, at least that was the intent.
 

If anyone can give me any further information, please respond.

This issue is identical to the plate specimen on page 130, of "Texas Obsolete Notes and Scrip" by Bob Medlar, 1968, save for the serial number and date. There were 8 notes in this series, denominated as 25c, 50c, $1, $2, $5, 50c with Steamship (verses train) $3 with steamship, and a $5. None of which are illustrated. This $1 note would be the most common.
 

Even so, this little note is somewhat rare, at Medlar rates it as an R7 (4-12 specimens known), and is undoubtedly genuine, as this note has a higher serial number than the one pictured in the reference, and was dated 5 days later.
 

Another authentication diagnostic is the photo on the back (great job, Larry) which clearly shows that this was printed on leftover or unused bank note or "fiscal" paper.
 

These folks are probably interested in selling it but have no idea what it may be worth. 
My guess is in the low hundreds.

Jim Bevill

Larry L. Foerster,  Chairman

MONTGOMERY  COUNTY HISTORICAL  COMMISSION

414 West Phillips, Suite 100

Conroe, Texas 77301

foerster@dfcllp.com

Jim Bevill's Credentials: