Rhode Island Currency
July 2, 1780 (cont.)
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$7 Serial Number: 1315 RI 07/02/80
Signers: Adam Comstock, Caleb Harris (in red ink); no guaranty signature on back.
Size: front border design: 69 x 88mm; back border design: 68 x 92mm.
Comments: Numbering and first signature in black ink; second signature in red ink. Back bears an emblem from the Continental Currency issue of January 14, 1779 of a storm at sea with the motto: "Serenabit" (It will clear up). Paper contains blue threads and mica flakes with a watermark which reads: "CONFEDE / RATION" on two lines, oriented so that it reads from the front. Our example is part of an uncut sheet (front, back).
Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 1/13/96 lot 472. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.
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$8 Serial Number: 1315 RI 07/02/80
Signers: Adam Comstock, Caleb Harris (in red ink); no guaranty signature on back.
Size: front border design: 69 x 88mm; back border design: 68.5 x 92mm.
Comments: Numbering and first signature in black ink; second signature in red ink. Back bears an emblem from the Continental Currency issue of January 14, 1779 of a harp with thirteen strings with the motto: "Majora minoribus consonant" (The larger are in harmony with the smaller). Paper contains blue threads and mica flakes with a watermark which reads: "CONFEDE / RATION" on two lines, oriented so that it reads from the front. Our example is part of an uncut sheet (front, back).
Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 1/13/96 lot 472. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.
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$20 Serial Number: 1315 RI 07/02/80
Signers: Adam Comstock, Caleb Harris (in red ink); no guaranty signature on back.
Size: front border design: 69 x 88mm; back border design: 69 x 92mm.
Comments: Numbering and first signature in black ink; second signature in red ink. Back bears an emblem from the Continental Currency issue of January 14, 1779 of a strong wind creating waves, with the motto: "Vi concitatae" (It assults with a violent force). Paper contains blue threads and mica flakes with a watermark which reads: "CONFEDE / RATION" on two lines, oriented so that it reads from the front. Our example is part of an uncut sheet (front, back).
Provenance: EANA mail bid auction 1/13/96 lot 472. Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment.
Sheet images of bills represented above:
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Size: 342x208mm (print block 283x183mm)
Comments: This is what is known as a half or single sheet. A full sheet (also called a double sheet) would have two complete sets of the denominations. The notes were printed as follows. The printer took a large sheet of paper 342x416mm and then centered one half of the sheet in his press. He then inked and printed the front plate on the center of one half of the sheet. He then turned the sheet over, centering it on the unused half of the sheet and again printed the front plate. The sheet was then hung so the ink could dry and another sheet was printed. At the end of the process the sheets were once again aligned in the press and the opposite sides were printed with the plate for the backs of the notes. The result was a large sheet (called a double sheet) with two complete sets of the notes from the emission. Each side had one set showing the front and the other set showing the back to the notes. As this was the inverse of the plate, the far left column had the 5-20 dollar denominations and the inner column had the 1-4 dollar denominations (the ragged edges, know as selvege margins, represent the outside edges of the full sheet. Note only three sides show selvege while the fourth side was cut). The sheets were then sent to the government finance office where they were probably cut in half (into what are called half or single sheets) with one set of the full emission per sheet and then signed and numbered by hand. The same serial number would be used for each of the denominations in the set on the single sheet. The sheets were then cut into individual notes and emitted to the public.
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$20 Serial Number: 160 RI 07/02/80
Signers: Metcalfe Bowler, Caleb Harris (in red ink); guaranty signature on back: Jonathan Arnold.
Size: 71 x 92mm (front border design: 69 x 88mm; back border design: vertical dimension trimmed on this example, horizontal dimension = 69mm).
Comments: Numbering and first signature in black ink; second signature in red ink. Back bears an emblem from the Continental Currency issue of January 14, 1779 of a strong wind creating waves, with the motto: "Vi concitatae" (It assults with a violent force). Paper contains blue threads and mica flakes with a watermark which reads: "CONFEDE / RATION" on two lines, oriented so that it reads from the front.
Provenance: From the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Collection.
