Kathie >From what I know from my husband's gr-gr-grandfather getting land in the 1850's in Southeast Missouri, the government offered land as a way of payment for military service.  It's possible that your James Huskey had this situation placed before him.  The government didn't give you a choice of where the land was, but just simply told you where it was at.  Then it was your responsibility to travel there and make the necessary arrangements.  Also, some certificates were not issued until the land had either been settled or had been paid for in full.  The currency used at the time was whatever was being used by the country at that time.  No one state had its own currency.  It wasn't until the Civil War that there was a separate currency of which neither the Union or the Confederate currencies were good in the other jurisdiction although the Union's was always good in those states which succeeded from the Union.  After the end of the Civil War even the Confederate currency wasn't being accepted by many of the business owners in the South. To see what the currency looked like, check out a coin and currency pricing book.  Many of them do have small black and white photos of the old coins and paper currencies.  I would imagine that some of the larger libraries would have them or perhaps a google search may show some as long as you know the names that coin/currency collectors use or by which they were referred to in their time. Debbi --- On Thu, 7/23/09, KathieMir@aol.com <KathieMir@aol.com> wrote: From: KathieMir@aol.com <KathieMir@aol.com> Subject: [ILMACOUP] Macoupin County, IL and the April 24, 1820: Sale-Cash Entry (3 Stat. 566) Act To: ILMACOUP-L@rootsweb.com Date: Thursday, July 23, 2009, 7:19 PM In 1815, James Huskey moved from Sevier County, TN to Dallas County, AL  (later Perry County).  I have been told James Huskey purchased land in  Dallas County, AL on 17 April 1819 (needs to be  researched). In 1834, James and his family moved to Macoupin County, IL from Perry  County, AL.  From 16 April 1834 until 8 January 1840, James purchased a  total of 2,218.38 acres of land in Macoupin County, IL from the Edwardsville,  Illinois Land Office.  This land was purchased under the April  24, 1820: Sale-Cash Entry (3 Stat. 566) Act.  My  questions: 1.    Where would I find Broadside (advertisement) examples  of Federal Land for sell in the 1830's.  Would especially like an  advertisement for Ill inois and Macoupin County.  Want to know how someone  in Alabama knew to come to Macoupin County, Illinois and purchase land for  $1.25 per acre. 2.    What currency would James Huskey have used  to purchase land in Alabama in 1819?  Silver? What currency would he have  used to purchase land in Illinois in 1834?  Where could I obtain a picture  of what this currency looked like?  In 1834, was Alabama currency good  in Illinois?  Did he have a wagon full of silver to purchase the land  in Illinois?  3.    On the Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales database:  __http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/data_lan.html__ (http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/data_lan.html_)   it  list “Date of Purchase” for James as 16 April 1834.  On Ancestry.com, U.S..  General Land Office Records, 1796-1907, the “Issue Date” is 22 April  1835.  Land he purchased on 8  January 1840 was not issued a certificate  until 3 March 1843. Was there normally a year or more lag between the two  dates? Thank you for your  help, Kathie  Mirabella **************Dell Deals: Treat yourself to a sweet deal on popular laptops! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1223100673x1201716527/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Faltfarm.mediaplex.com%2Fad%2Fck%2F12309%2D81939%2D1629%2D7) Check out Macoupin County ILGenWeb page at http://www.macoupinctygenealogy.org/. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ILMACOUP-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message