Maryland: July 26, 1775
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    Maryland Currency

    July 26, 1775

    An emission of $266,666 (equal to £100,000 in money of account) to promote the manufacture of gunpowder. To be redeemed in gold or silver at 4s6d sterling per dollar by January 1, 1786. All denominations carry propaganda woodcuts by the Annapolis engraver Thomas Sparrow. The bills were printed by Frederick Green in Annapolis. Denominations printed were $2/3, $1, $1 1/3, $1 2/3 (12s6d), $2 2/3 (20s), $4 (30s), $8 (£3) and $16 (£6).

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    $2 2/3                   Serial Number: 316[8]                 MD 07/26/75

    Signers: James Brice.

    Size: not available.

    Comments: Signed and numbered in light brown ink. On the front a personification of America is holding a liberty cap and trampling upon a scroll marked SLAVERY. Behind her is a contingent of Continental troops carrying a flag with LIB for Liberty. America presents a petition fron the Continental Congress (labelled CONG. PETI.) to Britannia, who carries a spear and shield (the shield has the combined cross of St. George and cross of St. Andrew). Behind Britannia is George III trampling on the Magna Charta (M CHARTA) as he torches an American city under attack from the British fleet. On the left is a border cut in white letters on black, PRO ARIS ET FOCIS (For alters and the hearth) followed by the initials TS for the engraver of this woodcut Thomas Sparrow (obscured on this example but visible at the bottom to the border cut in black letters with a white background). On the right is another obscured border cut stating, AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN. In the top line of text to the left is the exchange rate in English sterling listed here as 20 shillings.

    On the back America and Britannia share an olive branch of peace. Below in a scroll is the motto PAX TRIUMPHIS POTIOR (Peace is preferable to victory). In the upper border in white letters on a black background, on the left is T SPARROW for the engraver of this woodcut, Thomas Sparrow; on the upper right is the word LIBERTY. In the bottom left corner are the initials FG for the printer Frederick Green.

    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 457.

    obv rev


    $16                   Serial Number: 382                 MD 07/26/75

    Signers: James Brice and to the right in very faded ink, John Duckett

    Size: 61 x 109mm (borders trimmed).

    Comments: Signed and numbered in light brown ink. The Du in Duckett is visible under the M.DCC of the date (similar to, but lighter than, the example in Newman, 4th edition, p. 170). On the front a personification of America is holding a liberty cap and trampling upon a scroll marked SLAVERY. Behind her is a contingent of Continental troops carrying a flag with LIB for Liberty. America presents a petition fron the Continental Congress (labelled CONG. PETI.) to Britannia, who carries a spear and shield (the shield has the combined cross of St. George and cross of St. Andrew). Behind Britannia is George III trampling on the Magna Charta (M CHARTA) as he torches an American city under attack from the British fleet. On the left is the remnant of a border cut, PRO ARIS ET FOCIS (For alters and the hearth) followed by the initials TS for the engraver of this woodcut Thomas Sparrow. On the right is a border cut that has been cut off this note stating, AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN. In the first line of text to the far right is the exchange rate in English sterling listed here as SIX for six pounds.

    On the back America and Britannia share an olive branch of peace. Below in a scroll is the motto PAX TRIUMPHIS POTIOR (Peace is preferable to victory). In the upper border on the left is T SPARROW for the engraver of this woodcut, Thomas Sparrow; this area is faded on the note. On the upper right is the word LIBERTY in white letters The left border has been completely cut off and the lower left corner is quite rounded. Just below and to the left of the S in SIXTEEN should be the initials FG for the printer Frederick Green, they are missing from this example. Opposite, on the far right, under the ARS in DOLLARS is the date 1775 in white letters, again obscured on this example.

    This note has had extensive repair work at several points, from top to bottom there are several reinforced areas the most conspicuous is down the center, also from side to side down a center crease the length of the note as well as along the entire right edge and to a tear on the upper left edge.

    Provenance: Pruchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EAHA mail bid auction of 12/12/98, lot 304, where it was graded Choice about extremely fine.