Pennsylvania: October 25, 1775
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    Pennsylvania Currency

    October 25, 1775

    An emission of £22,000 in bills of credit as "resolve money" issued pursuant to the resolve of September 30, 1775 (see previous emission). The Penn arms were restored on the front of these bills. The 3d-9d are smaller in size, have plates A-C and have typeset backs. All have four front border cuts. The top border of the 1s note has an 'S' for the metalsmith James Smithers, who made the border cuts. The 'S' is quite small and is found just to the right of and below the cross stroke of the 'G' in the word "SHILLING." On our example it is very near the closely trimmed right border. Notes of 1s and up have nature prints on the back (except the 2s6d which has a chevron design of the back). Bills from this emission were printed by Hall and Sellers in Philadelphia on paper containing mica flakes and blue threads. 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 with at least one of the three signatures in red. Denominations issued were: 3d, 4d, 6d, 9d, 1s, 18d, 2s, 2s6d, 5s, 10s, 15s and 20s.

    obv


    9d                Plate C         Serial Number: 3996             PA 10/25/75

    Signer: Isaac Howell (in red).

    Size: not available.

    Comments: Numbered and signed in red ink. The Penn family arms with the motto "Mercy Justice" appears in the left center of the front. The colony name appears as "Pensilvania". No image is available of the back. The paper contains mica flakes and blue threads.

    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 554.

    obv rev


    1s                    Serial Number: 19,716                 PA 10/25/75

    Signers: Thomas Tilbury, Isaac Howell (in red ink), Richard Humphreys.

    Size: 89 x 70mm (front border design: 85 x 69mm; back border design: 86 x 63mm).

    Comments: Numbered in red ink; second signature in red ink, the other two are in black ink. The top border of the front has an 'S' for the metalsmith James Smithers, who made the border cuts (the 'S' is quite small and is found just to the right of and below the cross stroke of the 'G' in the word "SHILLING"). The Penn family arms with the motto "Mercy Justice" appears in left center of front. The colony name appears as "Pensylvania". Nature print on the back consisting of a twig with three leaves, there appears to be a signature below. The paper contains mica flakes and blue threads.

    Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 12/2/95 lot 513. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.

    obv


    18d                    Serial Number: 8012                 PA 10/25/75

    Signers: Philip Kinsey, Charles Jervis, Thomas Shoemaker.

    Size: not available.

    Comments: Numbered and signed in black ink. The Penn family arms with the motto "Mercy Justice" appears in right center of the front. The colony name appears as "Pennsilvania". No image is available of the nature print on the back which consists of a twig with five leaves. The paper contains mica flakes and blue threads.

    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 555.

    obv


    2s                    Serial Number: 8091                 PA 10/25/75

    Signers: Charles Jervis, Thomas Shoemaker, Philip Kinsey.

    Size: not available.

    Comments: Numbered and signed in black ink. The Penn family arms with the motto "Mercy Justice" appears in right center of the front. The colony name appears as "Pensylvania". No image is available of the nature print on the back. The paper contains mica flakes and blue threads.

    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 556.

    obv rev


    5s                   Serial Number: 2454                 PA 10/25/75

    Signers: Abel Evans, Jonathan Warder, John Knowles (in red ink).

    Size: 69 x 87mm (front border design: 67.5 x 84mm; back border design: 64 x 82mm).

    Comments: Numbered in black ink; third signature in red ink, the others in black ink. Penn Arms with the motto "Mercy Justice" appears in left. In the center beside the name of the king the denomination has beek keyed to a crown. The colony name appears as "Pennsylvania". The nature print on the back contains a betony and a sage leaf. The paper contains mica flakes and blue threads.

    Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 12/2/95 lot 514. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.