Description
Macerated currency objects were popular made from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century from worn-out cancelled U.S. paper money. The Treasury macerated the bits of paper — which were rich in cotton fiber — into a composition to be cast into a variety of forms. This process involved shredding the paper and softening and breaking it down by soaking it. The Treasury sold the macerated currency to private manufacturing companies for souvenir production by casting them with a binder as a sort of paper mache object. The items were generally marketed to tourists in Washington, D.C., and thus commonly took the form of miniatures of Washington, D.C. tourist sites such as Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and Capitol. Busts of presidents, and patriotic symbols were also popular. Some of the objects were in the form of more commonplace items like such as a small shoe or hat. These subjects were also created as images on plaques. Macerated currency items are a cross-over numismatic collectible. The unicorn plaque offered is particularly large, and a highly unusual motif, suggesting that it was made in very limited production for a specific purpose.
Some extant macerated U.S. currency items bear small printed paper identification labels on the underside or backside, likely at the discretion of the manufacturer, with details about the currency, or identification of the maker and/or subject of the object. One example is “Made of U.S. National Greenbacks redeemed and macerated at the U.S. Treasury, estimated $5,000.” The offered Unicorn plaque does not have a label, though this is not at all unusual; it is thought that the majority of extant macerated currency objects were not issued labeled, and in some cases a label would have seince been removed or worn away.
Today, in the world of finance, coincidentally a unicorn refers to a privately held startup company that has achieved a valuation of $1 billion or more. The term was coined by venture capitalist Aileen Lee in 2013 to highlight the rarity and mythical status of such successful venture
Condition: Generally very good light toning, wear, and handling commensurate with age.
