A Guide To Fake And Reproduction Money from 1865 and Earlier

There are four areas of currency that are reproduced more than any others. These are areas are:

Colonial Currency (before 1800)
Republic of Texas Currency (1838-1843)
Confederate Currency (1861-1864)
Obsolete State Currency (1800-1864)

The good news is that anything printed after 1865 is almost certainly authentic. However, anything printed before 1865 is likely a reproduction. It is very easy to tell if your currency is a reproduction. If the serial number on your note matches the serial number on the list of reproductions then what you have is not authentic.

Generally speaking, even if you can’t match up the serial number, but your note happens to have brown brittle paper with a black overprint and a blank back, then it is almost certainly a reproduction.

The term reproduction is a nice word for fake, not authentic, and counterfeit. Many of these reproductions were given away in Cheerios boxes in the 1950s. Others were printed as early as the 1920s to be sold at museums and historical sites. So, just because your grandfather owned the note and it is really old to you, does not mean that it is authentic.

If you have any colonial, Texas, confederate, or obsolete currency then please click on one of the links above to make sure what you have is authentic.