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  • Delaware Index

    Delaware Currency

    January 1, 1776

    An emission of £30,000 in indented bills of credit according to the act of September 2, 1775 for 16 year mortgage loans, redeemable by January 1, 1788. There had not been a previous emission in Deleware since the Franklin and Hall issue of May 31, 1760. The engraving of the borders, the English arms and the bundle of wheat as well as the typsetting are by James Adams. The heraldic arms are sideways on the six lowest denominations. Like several other issues from this period, the bills were not indented even though they say they were. Printed on thick paper containing blue thread and mica flakes, as was used for Continental currency. The numbering of the bills was continuous by printed sheet rather than by denomination. Also, the numbering was not consecutive from 1, thus although only 12,000 of each denomination were printed the numbering goes at least into the 80,000's. The denominations printed were: 1s, 18d, 2s6d, 4s, 5s, 6s, 10s and 20s notes.

    obv rev


    2s6d               Serial Number: 24,272                 DE 01/01/76

    Signers: John McKinly, Thomas Collins (in red), Boaz Manlove (in red).

    Size: 88 x 72mm. (front border design 85 x 70mm; back border design 84 x 70mm).

    Comments: Numbering and third signatures in red ink, second signature in light red and first signature in black. English arms oriented sideways on this lower denomination. Column borders on the front. Blue thread in the paper is visible on the front of this bill. A bundle of wheat is printed on the back. English arms oriented sideways on this lower denomination.

    Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 12/02/95 lot 417. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.

    obv rev


    4s               Serial Number: 62,878                 DE 01/01/76

    Signers: John McKinly, Thomas Collins (in red), Boaz Manlove.

    Size: 89 x 72mm. (front border design: 86.5 x 70mm; back border design: dimensions trimmed in our example.)

    Comments: The numbering as well as the first and third signatures are in black ink, while the second signature is in red. The English arms are oriented sideways on this lower denomination note. Note in the top border above the acanthus design in white letters is "FOUR SHIL" while below the design is "four". There are blue threads and mica chips in the paper. A bundle of wheat is displayed on the back.

    Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 11/16/96 lot 554. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.

    obv rev


    5s               Serial Number: 79,753                 DE 01/01/76

    Signers: John McKinly, Thomas Collins (in red), Boaz Manlove.

    Size: 87 x 72mm. (front border design: 86 x 70mm; back border design: width of 66mm, the dimensions of the upper border are trimmed in our example.)

    Comments: The numbering as well as the first and third signatures are in black ink, while the second signature is in red. The English arms are oriented sideways on this lower denomination note. There are blue threads and mica chips in the paper. A bundle of wheat is displayed on the back.

    Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 04/26/97 lot 193. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.

    obv rev


    6s               Serial Number: 48,555                 DE 01/01/76

    Signers: John McKinly, Thomas Collins (in red), James Sykes.

    Size: 88 x 72mm. (front border design 87 x 71mm; back border design 85 x 70mm).

    Comments: Numbering and first and third signatures in black ink, second signature in red. English arms oriented sideways on this lower denomination. Blue thread in the paper is visible on the front of this bill. A bundle of wheat is printed on the back.

    Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 04/20/96 lot 428. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.

    obv


    10s               Serial Number: 81,556                 DE 01/01/76

    Signers: John McKinly, Thomas Collins (in red), James Sykes.

    Size: not available.

    Comments: Numbering and first and third signatures in black ink, second signature in red. English arms in upper right. Below the denomination is keyed to two crowns. Blue thread in the paper is visible on the front of this bill. A bundle of wheat on the back. Image of the back is not available.

    Courtesy of Early American Numismatic Auctions, Inc.  Images used with permission from their on-line auction catalog for the auction of April 20, 1996, lot 429.

    obv rev


    20s                 Serial Number: 9,587                 DE 01/01/76

    Signers: John McKinly, Thomas Collins (in red), Boaz Manlove.

    Size: 89 x 72mm. (front border design 86 x 70mm; back border design 86 x 70mm).

    Comments: Numbering and first and third signatures in black ink, second signature in red. English arms in upper right. Below the denomination is keyed to four crowns. Blue thread in the paper is visible on the front of this bill. A bundle of wheat is printed on the back.

    Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 12/02/95 lot 421. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.