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  • Connecticut Index

    Connecticut Currency


    January 2, 1775

    An emission of £15,000 in bills of credit as Treasury Notes payable in lawful money by January 2, 1777 without interest. Newman lists £12,000 while the resolution states £15,000, (see Charles Hoadly, The Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, Hartford: Case, Lockwood and Brainard, vol. 14, 1887, pp. 432-433). The emission was printed in New London by Timothy Green II with engraved borders and typeset text. (This Green is the first cousin once removed of Timothy Green Jr., who had printed currency for Connecticut until his death on October 3, 1763). The front of each note shows the seal of the colony with three grape vines and a hand that points to the right on some denominations and to the left on others. The scroll carries the abbreviated motto "QUI TRAN SUST" sometimes lacking the final N or final T (What is transplanted survives). In the border is: "SIGILLUM : COLON : CONNECTICENSIS" (Seal of the Colony of Connecticut). This form of the seal was on every emission from 1755 -1780. The January 1775 emission was signed and numbered in red ink and usually slash or hole canceled upon redemption. The denominations printed were: 2s6d, 5s, 10s, 20s and 40s notes.


    obv rev


    2s6d                 Serial Number: ??59 (faded)                 CT 01/02/75

    Signers: Thomas Seymour, Goerge Wyllys, Elisha Williams (all faded).

    Size: not available.

    Comments: Signed and numbered in faded red ink. The hand on the state arms points to the left. Note the use of typographic designs to fill empty spaces, such as design after the date. On the back in red ink is the redemption registration: "Register[e]d J. Jeffery G[eneral] Cl[er]k."

    Provenance: Scanned image of a note in the Collection of James Conner Poynor.