Virginia: October 16, 1780
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    Virginia Currency

    October 16, 1780

    An emission of £6,000,000 in legal tender treasury bills redeemable in Spanish milled dollars by December 30, 1790 at the rate of $40 in paper currency for each Spanish dollar. Legal tender status was revoked in May 1781. The bills were typeset on very thin paper with the denomination printed on the side margins of the otherwise blank backs. Two control letters (see May 4, 1778) are found to the left of the serial number. This was the last emission to use control numbers. There are two signers on the $50 and three on the higher denominations. Denominations issued were: $50 (£30), $100 (£30), $200 (£60), $300 (£90), $400 (£120) and $500 (£150).

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    $50               Serial Number: 21,754        control letters: h.g.        VA 10/16/80

    Signers: James Turner, John Lyne, J. Hopkins.

    Size: 79 x 97mm (front border design 76 x 96mm).

    Comments: Numbering and one signature in light brown two other signatures in a darker brown ink. Control letters are found to the left of the serial number, the first letter appears to be an h with a faint ascender rather than an n. Equivalencies stated on the bill are £15 or $50, exchangable at a rate of one Spanish milled dollar to forty in currency. On the front of the note just below the top border design is the phrase FIFTY DOLLARS printed upside down with each letter divided by a gothic character or symbol making the wording difficult to read. On the back near the right border is printed FIFTY DOLLARS and near the left border FIFTEEN POUNDS. The remainder of the back is unprinted. Click here to view the back.

    Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EAHA mail bid auction of 12/11/99, lot 515.

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    $200               Serial Number: 15,921        control letters: bw.        VA 10/16/80

    Signers: J.M. Simmons, John Lyne, J. Hopkins.

    Size: 77 x 102mm (front border design 73 x 94mm).

    Comments: Numbered and signed in brown ink. Control letters are found to the left of the serial number. Equivalencies stated on the bill are £60 or $200, exchangable at a rate of one Spanish milled dollar to forty in currency. On the front of the note just above the bottom border is the phrase "Two Hundred Dollars" with each letter divided by a line or a gothic character or symbol (as the ae ligature between w and o in two) making the wording difficult to read. On the back near the right border is printed TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS. and near the left border SIXTY POUNDS. The remainder of the back is unprinted. Click here to view the back.

    Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 04/20/96, lot 614.

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    $300               Serial Number: 17,799        control letters: pz        VA 10/16/80

    Signers: J.M. Simmons, John Lyne, J. Hopkins.

    Size: 76 x 99mm (front border design, bottom margin cut x 96mm).

    Comments: Numbering and one signature in light brown ink, two other signatures in a darker brown ink. Control letters are found to the left of the serial number. Equivalencies stated on the bill are £90 or $300, exchangable at a rate of one Spanish milled dollar to forty in currency. On the back near the right border is printed THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS. and near the left border NINTY POUNDS. The remainder of the back is unprinted. Click here to view the back.

    Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EAHA mail bid auction of 12/11/99, lot 517.

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    $400               Serial Number: 4471        control letters: e.o.        VA 10/16/80

    Signers: J.M. Simmons, John Lyne, J. Hopkins.

    Size: 76 x 95.5mm (front border design, 75 x 95mm).

    Comments: Numbering and two signatures brown ink, one other signatures in very light brown ink. Control letters are found to the left of the serial number. Equivalencies stated on the bill are £120 or $400, exchangable at a rate of one Spanish milled dollar to forty in currency. On the back near the right border is printed ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY POUNDS. and near the left border FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS. The lower denomination notes have the dollar value to the right and the pond value to the left. The remainder of the back is unprinted. Click here to view the back.

    Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EAHA mail bid auction of 12/11/99, lot 518.

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    $500               Serial Number: 13,357        control letters: z.b.        VA 10/16/80

    Signers: J.M. Simmons, John Lyne, J. Hopkins.

    Size: 75 x 96mm (front border design, bottom border cut x 95mm).

    Comments: Numbering and signatures in brown ink. Control letters are found to the left of the serial number. On the front of the note just below the top border is the phrase FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS with each letter divided by a design. Equivalencies stated on the bill are £150 or $500, exchangable at a rate of one Spanish milled dollar to forty in currency. On the back near the right border is printed ONE HUNDRED & FIFTY POUNDS. and near the left border FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. The FIVE HUNDR is partly obscured on this example by some backing. The lower denomination notes have the dollar value to the right and the pond value to the left. The remainder of the back is unprinted. Click here to view the back.

    Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EAHA mail bid auction of 12/11/99, lot 519.