Maryland Currency
March 1, 1770
An emission of $318,000 in indented bills without legal tender status to be used for loans. They were to be payable from October 10, 1781, to April 10, 1782, at the rate of 4s6d sterling per dollar or equivalent bin gold or silver. However by an act of October 17, 1780 all currency issues before 1776 were to be exchanged at a rate of forty old dollars for one new dollar until March 20, 1781, at which time they became void. This issue following the January 1, 1767, Maryland issue is the second issue to use the term dollar. Printed by Anne Catherine Green and William Green in Annapolis. Border cuts for this issue (and for the previous issue of January 1, 1767) were engraved by Thomas Sparrow, an Annapolis goldsmith and friend of the coiner John Chalmers. The nature prints on the back has previously been used for the January 1, 1767, emission printed by Jonas Green. Each bill had two signers and the $1/3 bill and higher denominations had what were termed "secret marks" to deter and detect counterfeits. Although such marks appeared on several colonial issues they were always exactly copied by counterfeiters. Denominations printed were: $1/9, $1/6, $2/9, $1/3, $1/2, $2/3, $1, $2, $4, $6 and $8.obv
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$1/6 Serial Number: 9922 MD 03/01/70
Signers: Robert Couden, John Clapham.
Size: 62 x 116mm. (front border trimmed, back border: 43 x 104)
Comments: Signed and numbered in brown ink with the state arms on the front and a nature print of fern leaves on the back. As secret anti-counterfeiting marks commas were added to the Romna Numeral date. There are three engraved borders on the front with the bottom border typeset.
Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 04/20/96 lot 447. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.
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$1/2 Serial Number: 12,030 MD 03/01/70
Signers: John Clapham, Robert Couden.
Size: 65 x 118mm. (front border 62 x trimmed; back border: 43 x 103)
Comments: Signed and numbered in brown ink with the state arms on the front and a nature print of two leaves on the back. As a secret anti-counterfeiting mark a small letter "a" was added between "Half" and "Dollar" on the top line of text opposite the serial number. There are three engraved borders on the front with the bottom border typeset. In the center of ther top border are the initials T.S. for the engraver Thomas Sparrow. On the back the bottom line of text has been set upside down.
Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 04/20/96 lot 448. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.
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$1 Serial Number: 11,950 MD 03/01/70
Signers: John Clapham, Robert Couden.
Size: 64 x 118mm.
Comments: Numbered and signed in brown ink. This note contains a picture of a Spanish milled dollar and the Maryland state arms. As a secret anti-counterfeiting mark the 'N' in "INDENTED" is rotated 180 degrees. The back of this bill originally had a nature print but has been completely backed with a brown paper. There are three engraved border cuts and a typeset lower border. In the upper margin is the signature of the engraver of the cuts, "T. Sparrow Sculpt."
Provenance: Donated by Felix Roppert of New York City in January 1936.
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$2 Serial Number: 8562 MD 03/01/70
Signers: John Clapham, Robert Couden.
Size: 63 x 111mm.
Comments: Numbered and signed in brown ink. This note contains pictures of two Spanish milled dollars and the Maryland state arms. As an secret anti-counterfeiting mark there is a period over the 'a' in "Rate." The back of this bill originally had a nature print but has been completely backed with a brown paper. There are three engraved border cuts and a typeset lower border.
Provenance: Donated by Felix Roppert of New York City in January 1936.
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$2 Serial Number: 12,663 MD 03/01/70
Signers: John Clapham, Robert Couden.
Size: 63 x 111mm.
Comments: Numbered and signed in brown ink. This note contains pictures of two Spanish milled dollars and the Maryland state arms. As an secret anti-counterfeiting mark there is a period over the 'a' in "Rate." There are three engraved border cuts and a typeset lower border. On the back is a nature print of leaves and branches. The bottom line of text on the back has been set upside down. This bill has split into two pieces.
Provenance: Donated by Felix Roppert of New York City in January 1936.
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Two dollars (equivalent to 9s) $2 Serial Number: 17700 MD 03/01/70
Signers: Robert Couden, John Clapham.
Size: 63 x 111mm.
Comments: Numbered and signed in brown ink. This note contains pictures of two Spanish milled dollars and the Maryland state arms. As an secret anti-counterfeiting mark there is a period over the 'a' in "Rate." There are three engraved border cuts and a typeset lower border. On the back is a nature print of leaves and branches. The bottom line of text on the back has been set upside down. This bill has split into two pieces.
Provenance: Donated by Felix Roppert of New York City in January 1936.
