East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railway Co. and the Richmond and Danville Railroad Co. - $1,000 (Uncanceled)

$1,000 5% Uncanceled Gold Bond printed by Homer Lee Bank Note Company, N.Y. All but 6 of 100 coupons remain.

The East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad (ETV&G) was a rail transport network that functioned in the southeastern United States during the latter part of the 19th century. Established in 1869 through the merger of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad and the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, the ETV&G significantly contributed to linking East Tennessee and other previously isolated areas of Southern Appalachia with the broader national rail system, thereby facilitating Knoxville's emergence as a key wholesaling hub in the region. In 1894, the ETV&G merged with the Richmond and Danville Railroad, leading to the creation of the Southern Railway.

Although initiatives to develop a railroad in East Tennessee commenced in the 1830s, financial challenges delayed construction until the late 1840s. The East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad was constructed from 1847 to 1859, establishing a connection between Knoxville, Tennessee, and Dalton, Georgia. Meanwhile, the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad was built from 1850 to 1856, linking Knoxville with Bristol, Tennessee. Charles McClung McGhee, a financier from Knoxville, organized a syndicate that acquired both rail lines to create the ETV&G in 1869. Thanks largely to McGhee's efforts, the newly formed ETV&G expanded by acquiring several other rail lines throughout the region. By 1890, the ETV&G had control over more than 2,500 miles (4,000 km) of track across five states.

The Richmond and Danville Railroad (R&D) Company functioned as an independent railroad from 1847 until 1894, initially within the state of Virginia and subsequently expanding to encompass 3,300 miles (5,300 km) of track across nine states. Established on March 9, 1847, the railroad completed its 140-mile (230 km) route connecting Richmond and Danville by 1856. During the American Civil War, it served as a crucial transportation link between Richmond, the Confederate capital, and other regions of the Confederacy. Following the war, the railroad expanded significantly, ultimately forming the extensive 3,300-mile Richmond and Danville Railroad Company System.

In 1892, the Richmond and Danville Railroad Company entered receivership and was sold in 1894, subsequently becoming part of the newly formed Southern Railway Company (which later evolved into the Norfolk Southern Railway) in 1896 and 1897. The revitalized Richmond and Danville Railroad was promoted by Whitmell P. Tunstall, a lawyer from Chatham, Virginia, who also served in the Virginia General Assembly. Tunstall successfully obtained a charter for the new railroad on March 9, 1847. In that same year, the state of Virginia acquired a 60% stake in the company's capital stock, maintaining this interest until 1871.

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