Georgia: 1776 Sterling Denominations
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  • Georgia Emissions 1776-77: Introduction

    Georgia Currency

    1776 Sterling Denominations

    An emission of £12,572 19s in certificates of credit to replace earlier issues as stated on the notes themselves. See the general introduction to the 1776-77 Georgia emissions clickable in the list above. The size of the notes increases with the denomination. The 10s and £1 are printed in black in red inks while the lower denominations are in black ink only. The 2s6d and 5s have vignettes and most denominations have several border varieties. All certificates were typeset on thin paper with blank backs. Lower denominations were usually unnumbered. Denominations issued were: 3d, 6d, 1s, 1s6d, 2s6d, 5s, 10s and £1.

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    2s6d                   Serial Number: unnumbered                  GA 1776

    Signers: William Few, Andrew E. Wells, Nehemiah Wade.

    Size: not available.

    Comments: Three signatures in brown ink. The denomination has a horse on the front and comes in two varieties. The variety illustrated has the denomination spelled out along both sides. Another variety has ornaments on the right side without the denomination.

    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 439.

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    5s                   Serial Number: 6052                 GA 1776

    Signers: James Habersham, Richard Wylly, Nehemiah Wade.

    Size: 75 x 123mm. (front border design 74 x 120mm; back blank).

    Comments: There are two varieties of this note based on the number of ornaments to the left of the word "FIVE" in the center of the note at the bottom. This example has seven ornaments in a row before getting to the left margin ornaments; other examples have eight ornaments. This certificate of 5s has a large picture of a crown on the bottom right corner since 5s equals one crown. This pictograph technique was used often on colonial notes, but usually the crown was smaller and less conspicuous than in this example. While these certificates were being emitted in 1776, public sentiment held that the large crown image on this denomination had a royalist connotation. Production of 5s notes was temporarily halted as a result and the design was replaced with a light blue circular seal of a woman leaning against a table with the motto: "Sperandum" (One must hope). The "Sperandum" variety has a row of eight ornaments at the bottom. The numbering and three signatures are in brown ink. The blank back of our certificate has the handwritten annotation, "£ 100" in brown ink. Click here to view the annotated back.

    Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 12/02/95 lot 433. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.