New Jersey Currency
April 16, 1764
An emission of £25,000 in bills of credit with the equivalent value in silver designated on each denomination. The emission was authorized by the session ending on February 23, 1764 and was to pass as legal tender until December 31, 1782. After that date it had to be redeemed or exchanged for newer valid currency. The notes would become invalid and unredeemable after December 31, 1782. They were printed in Woodbridge by James Parker. A sage leaf nature print is printed on the back. All denominations were printed in black ink except the face of the £6 which uses red and blue inks. The 15s and £3 notes were issued with plates A, B, D and without a plate letter. The £3 notes without a plate letter came in two varieties, with a split sun or with a solid sun. The 30s notes were issued with plates A, B, C, D, F and G. There were no plate designations on the other notes. Denominations issued were: 12s, 15s, 30s, £3 and £6.obv
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30s Plate F Serial Number: 1,412 NJ 04/16/64
Signers: Richard Smith, Jonathan Johnston, S. Skinner.
Size: 52 x 100mm (front border design: top trimmed x 99mm; back border design: 43 x 91mm).
Comments: First two signatures and numbering are in brown ink while the third signature is in black ink. On the front the printing is in red and the engraving is in black with the British arms. The denomination is keyed to six crowns and half a sun. In the bottom border design small question marks are found between the second and third ornaments from the end on either side, they were added as an anti- counterfeiting devise; in the hopes counterfeiters would overlook this small detail. On the back, the border ornament also contains exclamation points (!) as well as question marks (?). The back of the note contains a nature print of a sage leaf with an ornamental border design. The back border ornament also contains exclamation points (!) as well as question marks (?) added to catch counterfeiters. There are five different plate numbers for this denomination (A D,F and G) as well as two different counterfeits of plate B and two others of plate G. Both of the plate G counterfeits follow this entry.
Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 4/26/97 lot 261. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.
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30s Counterfeit Plate G Serial Number: 1,277 NJ 04/16/64
Signers: Jonathan Johnston, Richard Smith, Samuel Smith (all forgeries).
Size: 53 x 100mm (front border design: 52 x 99mm; back border design: 43 x 91mm).
Comments: All three signatures and the numbering are in brown inks. On the front the printing is in red and the engraving is in black with the British arms. The denomination is keyed to six crowns and half a sun. The back contains a nature print of a sage leaf with an ornamental border design.
This is a counterfeit. It can be distinguished from the legal issue in that the engraving is rather crude. Specific elements identifying this counterfeit of plate G from the other counterfeit plate G are as follows. The letter "G" in the plate letter has a large curved bow at the top which extends beyond the upright portion of the letter. In the other counterfeit and the original the "head" of the G is not so long. The other plate G counterfeit is described in the following entry. Interestingly, in the bottom border design both counterfeits reproduce the small question marks found between the second and third ornaments from the end on either side, they had been added to the legal issue as an anti- counterfeiting devise! This counterfeiter also included the exclamation points (!) as well as question marks (?) added to back border design as anti counterfeiting measures! A piece of old cloth tape with the name GI (or CI) Ford has fallen off the back.
Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 4/26/97 lot 261. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.
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30s Counterfeit Plate G Serial Number: 1,212 NJ 04/16/64
Signers: Jonathan Johnston, Richard Smith, Samuel Smith (all forgeries).
Size: not available
Comments: Signed and numbered in black ink. On the front the printing is in red and the engraving is in black with the British arms. The denomination is keyed to six crowns and half a sun. No image of the back is available. The back contains a nature print of a sage leaf with an ornamental border design.
This is one of two counterfeits of plate G. It can be distinguished from the legal issue in that the engraving is rather crude. Specific elements identifying this counterfeit of plate G from the other counterfeit plate G are as follows. There is no period after "No" in the serial number. The top bow of the 6 in April 16 should point upwards towards the first leg of the w in the word pennyweight, while in this counterfeit it curves to the right and points towards the border. The G used for the plate letter is larger than the G used in the words SHILLINGS, while on the originals they are the same size. Finally several of the bottom border ornaments are misaligned and overlap each other. The other plate G counterfeit is described in the previous entry. Interestingly, in the bottom border design both counterfeits reproduce the small question marks found between the second and third ornaments from the end on either side, they had been added to the legal issue as an anti- counterfeiting devise! No image of the back is 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 494.
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£3 Serial Number: 1,767 NJ 04/16/64
Signers: Richard Smith, Jonathan Johnston, S. Skinner.
Size: 54 x 100mm (front border design: 52 x 99mm; back border design: 44 x 90mm).
Comments: First two signatures and numbering are in brown ink while the third signature is in black ink. On the front the printing is in red and the engraving is in black with the British arms. The note is keyed to the full sun (consisting of two half suns, known as a split sun) which was a symbol for £3. Three varieties of the £3 note have plate letters (A,B and D), this is one of the two varieties without a plate number. One of the non plate varieties has a solid sun, while this variety has the split sun. The right half of the sun has a border legend "NEW JERSEY SI" while the left portion has the legend "X . POUND ." It appears the split sun was based on the design for the £6 note, which has a two full suns. The back contains a nature print of a sage leaf on back with an ornamental border design. On either side of the denomination near the top are the astrological sign of twins representing Gemini. Some calculations were handwritten on the back in the left border.
Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 11/16/96 lot 622. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.
