Description and research notes
The one-hundred-dollar note of the February 17, 1864 Confederate issue, cataloged as T-65 (Criswell 121), was the highest denomination of the Confederacy’s final paper-money series. Printed by Keatinge & Ball in Columbia, South Carolina, this design became one of the most recognizable icons of Confederate finance during the final year of the Civil War.
The central vignette features an allegorical female portrait often associated with Lucy Pickens of South Carolina. To the left stand two Confederate soldiers in field gear, while at lower right appears the engraved bust of George W. Randolph, Confederate Secretary of War. The red-pink background tint and intricate geometric lathework served both artistic and anti-counterfeiting functions.
The printed obligation promising payment 'Two years after the ratification of a treaty of peace' reflects the Confederacy’s uncertain fiscal horizon in 1864. Each note was individually numbered and hand-signed; this example bears serial number 447511 and plate letter D.
Certified PMG 63 EPQ Choice Uncirculated, this note retains original color, fresh paper texture, and strong margins. It stands as a representative example of the Confederacy’s largest circulating denomination and a financial document issued during the South’s final year of independence.