Pennsylvania Currency
May 1, 1760
An emission of £100,000 in legal tender bills of credit to support military expenditures associated with the French and Indian War. The bills were to be valid until October 15, 1769 and the money for their redemption was to be raised from taxes. All notes have the Penn family arms on the front and those from 5s and up have a nature print on the back; pence denominations have typeset backs. Printed by Benjamin Franklin and David Hall in Philadelphia. The 3d-9d bills have plates A, B and C, higher denomination have plates A and B except the 50s notes that only come in plates C and D. On denominations of 5s and higher the spelling of the colony name "Pennsylvania" is found in various forms. It is thought Franklin did this as an anti-counterfeiting device. The pence denominations are smaller in size. The two highest issues are printed in red and black, the others only in black. Detector bills were issued on blue paper. Denominations issued were: 3d, 4d, 6d, 9d, 5s, 10s, 15s, 20s, 50s and £5.obv
rev
£5 Plate B Serial Number: 3220 PA 05/01/60
Signers: James Eddy, Joseph Parker, George Morrison.
Size: 84 x 70mm (front and back border designs are trimmed on all sides on our example; no border measurements possible).
Comments: Printed in red and black ink. The Penn family arms in left center. Colony name appears as "Pennsylvania". Nature print of three leaves on the back. Printed by Benjamin Franklin and David Hall.
Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 1/13/96 lot 267. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.
