Virginia: May 5, 1777
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    Virginia Currency

    May 5, 1777

    An emission of $1,000,000 in legal tender treasury bills redeemable in Spanish milled dollars on December 1, 1784. This issue has engraved border cuts with the recently revised Virginia state arms on the front showing Liberty as a soldier trampling a foe with the motto "Sic semper tyrannis" (So always to tyrants). In the motto there is a misspelling, or more correctly the use of the wrong Latin case ending of "tyrannus" for tyrannis. In the date section the month, day and the final numeral of the year were added by hand. The same plates were used for the following emission. This issue has a blank reverse and is printed on heavy rag paper containing blue fibers and mica flakes. There was one signer on denominations of a dollar and below and two signers on higher denominations. Newman states reprints were made from forms stolen during the Civil War. Denominations issued were: $ 1/6, $ 1/3, $ 2/3, $1, $4, $5, $6, $8, $10 and $15.

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    $1                   Serial Number: 3941                  VA 05/05/77

    Signer: B. Pasteur.

    Size: 71 x 95mm (front border design: 64 x 92mm; back blank).

    Comments: Number and signature in light brown ink. Date partially written in by hand. State insignia appears on left showing Liberty as a soldier triumphant over her foe with the motto: "Sic semper tyrannus" (So always to tyrants). Below is a Spanish eight reales with the legends ONE DOLLAR and DEATH TO COUNTERFEIT. Printed on heavy rag paper containing blue threads. Click here to view the blank back.

    Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 08/25/01, lot 978, where it is mislabelled as $2/3.

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    $8                   Serial Number: 404                 VA 05/05/77

    Signers: B. Dickson, James Wray.

    Size: 66 x 97mm (front border design: 63 x 93mm; back blank).

    Comments: Number and first signature in light brown ink, second signature in darker ink. Date partially written in by hand. State insignia appears on left showing Liberty as a soldier triumphant over her foe with the motto: "Sic semper tyrannus" (So always to tyrants). Printed on heavy rag paper containing blue threads. Click here to view the blank back.

    Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 04/20/96, lot 607.