New Jersey Currency
December 31, 1763
An emission of £20,000 in bills of credit of which £10,000 was to replace worn out bills of previous issues. This currency was designated with its equivalent in silver and was designated as legal tender until December 31, 1781; it became invalid on December 31, 1782. Printed by James Parker in Woodbridge. Front of the bills are in black except the three highest denominations: the 30s and £3 are in red and black inks, and the £6 is in red and blue inks. Nature print of a sage leaf on the back. Plates A and B exist except for the 1s, 18d and 30s which have plates A-D and the £6 which has no plate designation. Denominations issued were: 1s, 18d, 3s, 6s, 12s, 15s, 30s, £3 and £6.obv
1s Plate B Serial Number: 5702 NJ 12/31/63
Signers: Jonathan Johnston, Richard Smith, Joseph Smith.
Size: not available
Comments: Signed and numbered in brown ink. British arms on front. Paper contains blue threads and mica flakes. Nature print of a sage leaf on back with an ornamental border design.
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 478.
obv
18d Plate D Serial Number: 4092 NJ 12/31/63
Signers: Jonathan Johnston, Richard Smith, Joseph Smith.
Size: not available
Comments: Signed and numbered in brown ink. British arms on front. There are also small zodiac images of libra and gemeni flanking the serial number. Paper contains blue threads and mica flakes. Nature print of a sage leaf on back with an ornamental border design. On the front the word plate is misspelled "PTATE."
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 489.
obv
3s PlateA Serial Number: 4339 NJ 12/31/63
Signers: Jonathan Johnston, Richard Smith, Joseph Smith.
Size: not available
Comments: Signed and numbered in brown ink. British arms on front. There is also a small zodiac image of taurus to the lrft of the serial number. Paper contains blue threads and mica flakes. Nature print of a sage leaf on back with an ornamental border design.
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 491.
obv
rev
12s Plate B Serial Number: 2410 NJ 12/31/63
Signers: Jonathan Johnston, Richard Smith, Joseph Smith.
Size: 54 x 100mm (outside border: 51 x 100mm; back border design: 46 x 76mm).
Comments: Signed and numbered in brown ink. British arms on front. Between brackets in right center are two black circles each representing six shillings . There is also a small zodiac image (Aries, the ram) in the center. Paper contains blue threads and mica flakes. Nature print of a sage leaf on back with an ornamental border design.
In June of 2010 Steve Frank informed me that on the back of this note there is a typographical error in the name of the town Woodbridge, which has an extra o as Wooodbridge. This error is only found on the 12s denomination from plate B. This denomination was produced on two plates, A and B, there is also a counterfeit variety of plate A.
Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 12/02/95 lot 469. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.
obv
rev
£3 Plate A Serial Number: 135 NJ 12/31/63
Signers: Richard Smith, Jonathan Johnston, S. Skinner.
Size: 54 x 93mm (outside border edges trimmed on front -- inside border dimensions: 45 x 79mm; back border design: 43 x 77mm).
Comments: Signed and numbered in brown ink. Printed in red and black. British arms on the front. Picture of sun containing the words "THREE POUNDS" in top center of front. There is also a zodiac image of Gemini twins in place of the right number bracket in upper right corner of front. Paper contains blue threads and mica flakes. Nature print of a sage leaf on back with an ornamental border design.
Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 1/13/96 lot 394. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.
obv
rev
£6 Serial Number: 135 NJ 12/31/63
Signers: Richard Smith, Samuel Smith.
Size: 60 x 110mm (front borders 58 x 108mm; back border design: 51 x 109mm).
Comments: Signed in brown ink. Printed in red and blue. British arms on the front. Denomination keyed to two suns on the front. Also in the right border it states its equivalency to 120 shillings. Paper contains blue threads and mica flakes. Nature print of a sage leaf on back with an ornamental border design, above the leaf is a row of zodiac symbols.
Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 04/20/96 lot 493. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.
