American Civil War currencies, 1862-1867

American Civil War currencies, 1862-1867. United States 5 cents postage currency note, Confederate 50 cents banknote, and United States 10 cents banknote. From the album assembled by John Downes Rochfort, who visited American Civil War sites in 1867. The American Civil War (1861-1865) was fought over the issues of slavery and the rights of individual states. It was precipitated by the secession of South Carolina from the Union when Abraham Lincoln, who supported the abolition of slavery, was elected President in 1860. Eventually 11 southern states rebelled, forming the Confederacy under the presidency of Jefferson Davis. The northern Union states eventually triumphed, largely due to their superior industrial capacity, but not before over 600,000 soldiers had lost their lives. ©SSPL/National Media Museum