Virginia Currency
March 4, 1773 - James River Bank Form (issued April 1, 1773)
In January of 1773 a large number of counterfeit bills began to appear in circulation. These counterfeits imitated the treasury note issues of November 1769 and July 1771. Therefore, those issues were recalled immediately in exchange for indented promissory notes without legal tender status issued by the Virginia treasury and made payable by December 10, 1775. The promissory notes were actually unused engraved private bank forms that had been brought over from England for use by the James River Bank. The charter for the bank was not approved so the forms were never issued and were subsequently acquired by the Virginia Assembly. The front of the forms were filled in by hand and the inapplicable text was put in parentheses. The backs were printed with the denomination, a "Death to counterfeit" warning and a typeset border. Denominations issued were: 20s, £ 3, £5, £8 and £12.obv
20s Serial Number: 20/1930 VA 04/10/73
Signer: Peyton Randolph, Robert Carter Nicholas, John Blair .
Size: not available
Comments: Numbered and signed in black ink. Vignette of a ship engraved on the upper left corner. On the front inapplicable text was put in parentheses. No image on the back is available. The backs were printed with the denomination, a "Death to counterfeit" warning and a typeset border.
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 365.
