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		A 50cent Confederate Railroad Ticket dated August 1, 1862, from the WESTERN & ATLANTIC R.R.
	The Western&Atlantic became a key link in the chain of Southern antebellum railroads connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi River and was the foundation for Atlanta’s emergence as a rail center. During the Civil War, the W&A R.R. had 46 wood burning locomotives, two of which were participants in the “Great Locomotive Chase” of April 1862.  The Railroad tickets issued by the Western & Atlantic were a better investment than the Confederate money ever was. These RR tickets were considered legal tender when Confederate dollars were refused.  There was a condition to the use of these Railroad Tickets as money, and that was, that you were required to save a total of ten used 50 cent tickets before you could exchange them for 50 cents in real money. This particular W&A ticket shows the type of wear on it that would have occurred from changing hands frequently.    The Western & Atlantic RR did suffer extensive damage during the war.   It played a major role in the Atlanta Campaign and its loss to the South in 1864 was a serious blow to the Confederacy’s hopes for victory.