Pennsylvania Currency
March 25, 1775
An emission of £6,000 in bills of credit for the continued construction of the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse and buoys and piers. Similar to the first lighthouse issue of March 20, 1773. The back displays a cast cut of a lighthouse with the denomination of the bill incised in the plate in roman numerals, found in the lower left corner of the picture. Four border cuts and the Penn shield on the front. Printed by Hall and Sellers in Philadelphia on paper containing mica flakes. Each denomination has plates A and B. In each denomination the spelling of the colony name "Pennsylvania" is found in a different form. This is the continuation of an anti-counterfeiting measure used by Franklin and Hall. Usually numbered in red ink and at least one of the three signatures in red. Denominations issued were: 4s, 6s, 14s and 16s.obv
4s Plate B Serial Number: 2242 PA 03/25/75
Signers: Ezekiel Edwards, Charles Wharton, Richard Vaux (in red).
Size: not available.
Comments: Numbering and first two signatures in black ink, third signature in red ink. The top (or left) column on the front reads: "Light House" followed by "iv Shill." and the bottom (or right) column reads: "Piers and Buoys" followed by "iv Sh." The front also contains the Penn family arms with the motto "Mercy Justice." Colony name appears as "Pensilvania ". No image of the back is available. The back of this denomination, which is inverted, displays a cast cut of a lighthouse with the denomination of the bill incised in roman numerals. The paper contains mica flakes.
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 550.
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16s Plate B Serial Number: 828 PA 03/25/75
Signers: Samuel Coates, Charles Wharton (in red ink), William Wishart.
Size: 86 x 70mm (front border design: 85 x 68.5mm; back border design: 81 x 65mm).
Comments: Numbered in black ink. Second signature in reddish-brown ink; others in black ink. The left column on the front reads downward: "Lighthouse" followed by a small xvi and the right column reads upward: "Piers & Buoys." followed by 16. The front also contains the Penn family arms with the motto "Mercy Justice." The back, which is inverted, displays a cast cut of a lighthouse with the denomination of the bill incised in roman numerals (see lower left corner of the picture). Colony name appears as "Pennsylvania ". The paper contains mica flakes.
Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 1/13/96 lot 440. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.
