Kansas Paper Money

The territory and state of Kansas was only in existence for a small part of the United States' obsolete note-issuing period, which lasted from the early 1800s until about 1866. Having become a territory in 1854 and a state in 1861, Kansas had about 10 years in which its bankers and merchants issued the obsolete notes that have become such popular collector's items. The obsolete currency of Kansas, then, is extremely rare - a status enhanced even further by the fact that many of these notes were undoubtedly lost or destroyed during their use on the rough and tumble western frontier. This book provides a heavily illustrated pictorial and written history of the paper bank notes and scrip issued by and for Kansans, from the time Kansas became a U.S. territory in 1854 to the end of the National Bank note issuing period in 1935.Although much of the book is similar to Society of Paper Money Collectors' state catalogs (including bank note history, listings, rarity of notes), this book is differentiated by its organization - grouping notes and issuers alphabetically according to the economic period that caused the notes to be issued.
Because there were several different types of issuers, the notes are also separated into three major categories - including municipal governments, merchants, and banks - the latter of which are further categorized as either fraudulent or intended 'wildcat' banks of the - territorial period; legally chartered banks; or private banks. Appendices examine modern eproductions of Kansas' obsolete paper currency, altered notes and write-in scrip, and the printers and engravers who created the physical notes, among other topics.