After the Civil War broke out in 1861, the newly established Confederate government began to issue its own money as legal tender to the citizens of the South. The 1st note from the Government of the Confederate States of America was issued in April of 1861. Notes were issued for the next three years, ending in 1864. A total of 70 different types were issued into circulation.

Almost every Confederate note was painstakingly hand signed and numbered. These notes were printed on large sheets and then cut apart by hand. It is not uncommon for these notes to have uneven margins, as getting these notes into circulation was more important then making sure each note had an accurate cut.

Counterfeiting became a major problem for the South. The North played a big role in this action by printing counterfeit notes and distributing them in the South causing massive inflation. When the Civil War was over, the Southern infrastructure was in disarray. The Southern banks had no money to loan, and the price of cotton fell drastically. Confederate notes had no value at all. The US never recognized the Confederate States of America as a legitimate government, so the money, stocks, and bonds that were printed by the Confederacy had no value, and could not be transferred into US funds. Anyone who had invested in the Confederate government, with notes, bonds, or stocks, lost the value of what they had invested.