New Jersey Currency
March 25, 1776
An emission of £100,000 in legal tender bills of credit had been planned since May 10, 1768 but never obtained the consent of the English king. Following the outbreak of the Revolution the issue was emitted as proclamation money. The notes were made legal tender on September 20, 1776 and recalled by January 1, 1780. David Rittenhouse engraved and signed the left border of the front of the £6 note. Printed in Burlington by Isaac Collins. The front of the notes are in red and black with the two highest denominations in red and blue. The back contains a sage leaf nature print rather than the engraving Collins user on the previous emission. Printed on paper containing mica flakes with a"New Jersey" watermark. Bills from 12s and below have plates A and B. Denominations issued were: 1s, 18d, 3s, 6s, 12s, 15s, 30s, £3 and £6.obv
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1s Plate A Serial Number: 63339 NJ 03/25/76
Signers: Robert Smith, Jonathan Deare, John Stevens, Jr.
Size: 56 x 99mm (front border design: 54 x 98mm; back border design: 49 x 80mm).
Comments: Signed and numbered in brown and black inks. Printed in red and black. British arms. Small zodiac symbols (Taurus the bull and Saggitarius respectively) appear in red ink to the left and right of "One Shilling". Nature print of a sage leaf on back with an ornamental border design. Paper contains mica flakes and is watermarked: "NEW JERSEY" oriented to be read from the back.
Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 12/02/95, lot 472.
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18d Plate A Serial Number: 3902 NJ 03/25/76
Signers: Jonathan Deare, Robert Smith, Joseph Smith.
Size: not available
Comments: Signed and numbered in brown and black inks. Printed in red and black. British arms. Small zodiac symbols, of Libra and Gemeni respectively, appear to the left and right ofthe denomination. Nature print of a sage leaf on back with an ornamental border design. Paper contains mica flakes and is watermarked: "NEW JERSEY". 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 497.
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18d Plate C Serial Number: 57834 NJ 03/25/76
Signers: Robert Smith, John Hart, John Stevens, Jr.
Size: not available
Comments: Signed and numbered in brown and black inks. Printed in red and black. British arms. Small zodiac symbols, of Libra and Gemeni respectively, appear to the left and right ofthe denomination. Nature print of a sage leaf on back with an ornamental border design. Paper contains mica flakes and is watermarked: "NEW JERSEY". 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 368.
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3s Plate B Serial Number: 26,834 NJ 03/25/76
Signers: Robert Smith, Jonathan Johnston and John Smyth.
Size: 58 x101mm (front border design: 55 x 98mm; back border design: 49 x 90mm).
Comments: Signed and numbered in brown inks. Printed in red and black on the front with border cuts and the British arms. Small zodiac symbol of Aries the ram to the left of the serial number. Nature print of a sage leaf on back with an ornamental border design. Paper contains mica flakes and is watermarked: "NEW JERSEY" oriented to be read from the front with the note upside down.
Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EAHA mail bid auction of 12/13/97 lot 252.
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12s Plate B Serial Number: 1748 NJ 03/25/76
Signers: Jonathan Johnston, Robert Smith, Joseph Smith.
Size: 59 x 101mm (front border design: 55 x 98mm; back border design: 47 x 80mm).
Comments: Signed and numbered in black ink. Printed in red and black. Small zodiac symbols (two Scorpios) appear to the left and right of "One Shilling" in the right center. Also, in the upper border there are two red circles each representing six shillings. Nature print of a sage leaf on back with an ornamental border design, the top border of which contains a row of winged angel heads as found on colonial gravestones. Paper contains mica flakes and is watermarked: "NEW JERSEY" oriented to be read from the front when the bill is turned upside down.
Provenance: From the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Collection
