1774 $8 bill -- what is it?
Prospero
found what appears to be an old piece of currency. The bill appears
to have been issued in Annapolis, MD, in 1774. Not sure where it came
from, though I have two theories: My father's father collected
antiques, and some of my family settled in Kent County, MD, in the
1700's.
Does anyone know what kind of bill this is? what its approximate value
is? whether it sounds real or counterfeit? Here's some info:
$8 bill with the following written on the front side: "This Indented
Bill of Eight Dollars shall entitle the Bearer to receive Bills of
Exchange payable in London, or Gold and Silver, at the Rate of Four
Shillings and Six-pence Sterling per Dollar for the said Bill,
according to the Directions of an Act of Assembly of Maryland. Dated
in Annapolis, this 10th Day of April, Anno Domini 1774." Signed by
[not sure of the first name, but it appears to be something like
_lapham] Wm Eddis.
Inside the border, which has script and flowery vines and the words
$8, on the upper left side of the bill is a crest of sorts picturing a
man with a shovel and a man with a fish standing with the Maryland
crest between them. Under them is written something very small that
appears to be "ORESCITE ET MULTIFLIGAMINI" but I can barely read it
b/c it is so small.
The back of the bill says, starting at the top border and moving
clockwise, "printed by A.C. and F. Green," "'Tis Death to
Counterfeit," "Eight Dollars Equal to 36 s Sterling," and "Annopolis."
The middle of the back of the bill looks almost like a screen print
of a tree branch and a cutting from a tree (with five leaves).
The bill is brown and made of a relatively stiff type of paper. It is
uncreased, whole, and unblemished. I'm no expert, but it appears to
be in very good shape. The inked section appears to be green or black
(sorry, I'm color blind).
Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
Jim
>Does anyone know what kind of bill this is? what its approximate value is?
whether it sounds real or counterfeit?<
This is referred to as Colonial Currency in the hobby.
Signatures were John Clapham and William Eddis.
What is the serial number in the upper right hand corner of the front of the
note? If #14020, your note is a very common fake, made in the 1950's or 60's
and as such, has zero value.
If blank or some other number and assuming very good condition, your note might
fetch $150.00 or so on a good day.
If real, check eBay in the appropriate US Currency section. Or post a scan here
for more feedback.
Always here for my fellow syngraphist or oenophile.
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from West of the Pecos
>What is the serial number in the upper right hand corner of the front of the
>note? If #14020, your note is a very common fake, made in the 1950's or 60's
I am always impressed by collectors and dealers (and writers) who know the
serial numbers of common fakes. I feel there is enough for me to know as it
is... If you can keep track of this in your head, you are truly in the upper
crust of numismatics.
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Tradurre e tradire.
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Jim
>If you can keep track of this in your head, you are truly in the upper crust
of numismatics.<
Nay, nay Jose....Database derived/created from on line sources and kept updated
by moi.
Never bother posting the URL's because the query is generally only interested
in the value of his/her piece and all other is just so much ho hum.
Prospero
behind this counterfeiting, if you know? I assume someone was trying
to pass these off as authentic, or is there a more interesting story?
Thanks for the info!
mike194...@aol.comoesta (from West of the Pecos) wrote in message news:<20021216094024...@mb-mh.aol.com>...
Michael E, Marotta
> behind this counterfeiting, if you know? I assume someone was trying
> to pass these off as authentic, or is there a more interesting story?
> Thanks for the info!
Well, you have to separate the people who REALLY make fakes to deceive
unwitting collectors and those who MERELY make copies in order to
satisfy a demand for trinkets and mementos. I mean, really, what is a
little Statue of Liberty that you bought in NYC as a tourist? Is it
supposed to fool anyone who might thing you shrunk the real thing and
brought it home?
I have a few so-called "museum replicas" made by a reputable firm in
England that sells these prepackaged copies of Roman and Medieval
coins to museum shops who then sell them to museum visitors.
Montroville Dickeson was an American numismatist of the mid-1800s who
acquired some dies -- supposedly made for stamping paper, not coins --
from the Mint and restruck coins from them. He also made copies of
the CONTINENTAL CURENCY (one R) pattern dollar that never became a
coin in 1776. He made copies of the Hogge Island Bermuda coins. His
copies were famous for what they were and no one in 1850 thought they
looked anything like coins from 1750. Then in 1960 copies of the
copies were remade. Now, cast copies of the copies of the copies
float about at coin shows for $3 each.
The same story applies to Paper Money. REAL Confederate money is easy
enough to find from a reputable dealer. The later in the War it was,
the higher the denomination and the more common it is today. So,
people make copies of low-denomination notes from early in the war and
they put them in cereal boxes for kids and they sell them at gas
stations in the South and so on.
Again, with coins, the Gallery Mint Museum is dedicated to reinventing
the lost skills of the past. They rebuilt the first steam engine from
the US Mint and struck off replicas of coins from that era. They do a
lot of this. It was inevitable that someone would take one of their
Mint State coins and take the word COPY off it and wear it down and
tone it and sell it to a coin dealer.
So, your 1774 colonial is a disappointment. Do you not have any
interest in buying a REAL one? Would you not like to hold that kind
of history in your hand? Think of it, a piece of the American
Revolution all your own. It is compelling, is it not?
from West of the Pecos
>From: pst...@earthling.net (Prospero)
>The bill appears
>to have been issued in Annapolis, MD, in 1774.
We already know that this one is a modern replica. However, it so happens,
that I checked out of the library Newman's THE EARLY PAPER MONEY OF AMERICA and
had time to read the text of the first 50+ pages up through 'Continental
Currency." So, I looked this one up under Maryland. As with _all_ of them, it
is pretty interesting.
For one thing, John Chapham signed this one for April 10, 1774 but also had
been siging them as 1767.
This series was of note was printed by Anne Catharine Green and Frederick
Green. (Newman puts her first.) Jonas Green had been the printer from 1756
forward, so there is a story here waiting to be told.
The issue of 1767 in the $1 and $2 notes had pictures of Spanish dollars on
them, so you could see what was promised -- and this, Newman says, is the first
instance of a banknote in America showing a coin. (In the 1830s, notes from
Ohio and Tennessee also showed Spanish Dollars and there are late 19th century
notes that have coins on them: gold and silver for the appropriate promisary.
Anyway, the copy is what it is, but it does open the door to some interesting
history.
I recommend the Newman book highly and I am looking for my own 4th edition.
Michael
Willie
I've just posted a message asking for info about continental currency.
I have several of these notes from the colonies and am interested in
knowing more myself...from Philadelphia, New York State, New London
Conneticut, North Carolina, Virginia ($250!! they were later forbidden
in Virginia), State of Rhode Island...
I would appreciate any more info that you may have. Interesting
article, thanks Michael
Willie