Hi, Here’s an interesting item for Photo Friday. It’s not actually a photo, but a scan of a Kansas Territorial Bond, dated May 1, 1859, for $100 to secure repayment of debts incurred by the Territorial Government. The bond has attached coupons which allowed the bearer to collect the 10% interest specified in the bond. The bonds had been issued under the pretense of repayment for losses which landowners suffered during the “Bleeding Kansas” years. Some $95,700 in bonds were issued by the Kansas Territorial Treasurer.

The issuing of these bonds was, however, completely fraudulent. D.H. Weir, the listed bearer of this bond, was one of the men implicated in the scheme to create the notes of indebtedness which would then have to be repaid by the Federal Government after the anticipated Statehood.  None of the bonds were ever honored or paid.