Virginia Currency
July 17, 1775 small size notes
An emission of £350,000 in Treasury notes redeemable by January 1, 1784. The borders, the arms of Virginia and the text were all engraved separately. The backs were left blank. There was one signer on the 1s3d and the 2s6d notes and two signers on the higher denominations. Proofs exist for the 1s3d and for the 2s6d with border cuts and arms but without the text. Interestingly they show the arms on the right side rather than on the left side, which is where they are located on the regular issues (see the plate of the 2s6d proof in Newman, 4th edition, p. 440). There was not enough heavy rag paper to complete the printing of this issue so the emission was continued with the large size engraved forms remaining from the 1773 Ashby series for the 20s, £2, £3 notes as well as for a new £5 note. These forms were also used up and the emission was completed from September 1, 1775 using James River Bank forms that had been left over from the April 1, 1773 emergency issuing of the forms. James River forms were used for the 10s and 20s notes with the addition of £4, £5, £8, £10 and £ 12 notes. Denominations issued in the original rag paper emission were: 1s3d, 2s6d, 5s, 7s6d, 10s, 12s6d, 20s, £2 and £3.obv
1s3d Serial Number: 34,116 VA 07/17/75
Signer: Edmund Randolph.
Size: 72 x 89mm (front border design: 70 x 85mm; back blank).
Comments: Numbered in light brown ink, signature in darker ink. State arms on the right front. This denomination comes in two types, one with the "One Shilling and Three Pence", the other with "One Shilling & Three Pence" in the body of the text. Our example is of the second type. Note that the phrase "A pistereen" appears in all three borders and in the center of the bill. This is a misspelling of pistareen. For information on the silver two reales coin minted in Spain and known in the colonies as a "pistareen" see the section on Spanish Silver coinage. The blank back has a handwritten monogram B above, A(or possibly ALV) below, F(?) to the left and R to the right, possibly FR BA(LV). To view the annotated back click here.
Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 12/2/95, lot 541.
obv
2s6d Serial Number: 37,069 VA 07/17/75
Signer: Edmund King.
Size: 71 x 88mm (front border design: 69 x 85mm).
Comments: Signed and numbered in light brown ink. State arms on the right front. This denomination comes in two types, one with "SIXPENCE", the other with "SIX PENCE" in the body of the text. This example is the variety without the space. To view the blank back click here.
Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 04/20/96, lot 605.
obv
20s Serial Number: 224 VA 07/17/75
Signers: John H. Norton, John Dixon.
Size: 63 x 93mm (front border design: 63 x 93mm; back blank).
Comments: Signed and numbered in light brown ink. State arms on the right front. In the right border is the misspelling FOWR CROWNS for four crowns ( crown is equal to five shillings). In the upper left corner is the numeral 1 and in the upper right is £. The reverse of this example has been backed with cardboard.
Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 08/26/00, lot 571.
obv
£2 Serial Number: 5,420 VA 07/17/75
Signer: Philip Johnson, William Norvell.
Size: 64 x 93.5mm (front border design: 63.5 x 92.5mm; back blank).
Comments: Signed and numbered in black ink. In the upper left corner is the numeral 2 and in the upper right is £ and in the lower left corner is the roman numeral XL (40) while on the right is S. In the right margin is EIGHT CROWNS. A handwritten note on the blank back reads "B [heart] 350" and elsewhere in a lighter ink is a signature "Q M[?]ding". To view the annotated back click here.
Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 11/16/96, lot 738.
