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ITEM SPECIFICS
- Type: Macerated Currency Souvenir
- Subject: Washington Monument
- Form: Tapered Obelisk / Monument Sculpture
- Material: Macerated U.S. Currency / Paper Pulp
- Estimated Original Currency Face Value: Approximately $5,000
- Era: Late 19th Century
- Approximate Date: c. 1875–1900
- Height: Approximately 6"
- Country of Origin: United States
- Location Associated: Washington, D.C.
- Theme: U.S. History / Currency / Washington Monument
- Original/Reproduction: Original Period Souvenir
- Vintage: Yes
- Antique: Yes
CONDITION DESCRIPTION
Antique condition with age-related surface wear, coloration, marks, and imperfections consistent with the delicate macerated-paper construction and age of the piece. Please review all photographs closely for exact condition, surface detail, and any areas of age-related wear.
DESCRIPTION
Unusual late-19th-century Washington Monument souvenir sculpture formed from macerated United States currency, measuring approximately 6 inches tall.
During the late 19th century, worn and redeemed U.S. bank notes were destroyed by the Treasury through a process known as maceration, which reduced the currency into paper pulp. Some of this material was subsequently molded into novelty souvenirs and sold to visitors in Washington, D.C.
The Washington Monument was one of the recognizable forms produced from this unusual material.
This tapered obelisk-form example is represented as having been made from macerated U.S. bank notes with an estimated face value of approximately $5,000.
The "$5,000" figure associated with these pieces refers to the estimated face value of the currency represented by the macerated material or production batch—it does not represent the present monetary value of the sculpture.
An unusual piece combining numismatic history, Washington, D.C. tourism, American folk art, and 19th-century Americana.
Approximately 6" high.
KEY FEATURES
- Genuine period-style macerated currency souvenir
- Washington Monument / obelisk form
- Made from destroyed U.S. bank-note pulp
- Associated with approximately $5,000 in redeemed currency
- Approximately 6" tall
- Late-19th-century American souvenir
- Washington, D.C. historical collectible
- Early U.S. Treasury currency-destruction history
- Numismatic crossover collectible
- Unusual example of American souvenir folk art
INCLUDED
- One Washington Monument macerated U.S. currency sculpture
Only the item shown and specifically described is included.
