New York Currency
April 20, 1756
An emission of £52,000 in legal tender bills of credit to be redeemed by November 1766. Engraved border cuts with the seal of the City of New York on the right and the numbering between the seal and the right border design. There is a rectangular border design on the left and a serpentine column on the right as in the previous issue of February 16, 1756. Printed by James Parker in New York City with a blank back made from coarse dark paper. This basic style, with the border cuts and seal had been in use since the emission of December 10, 1737. Through the seven emissions up to and including the May 12, 1755 emission the position of the seal alternated back and forth from the right then to the left. As of the emission of September 15, 1755 the seal remained on the right. Denominations issued in this emission: 20s, £2, £3, £5 and £10.obv
£10 Serial Number: 8185 (faded) NY 04/20/56
Signers: John Van der Spiegel, John Cruger and Robert R. Livingston
Size: 57 x 99 mm (border dimensions: 56 x 97mm; the back is blank).
Comments: Signed and numbered in brown ink. In the top center of the bill there is a picture of two one pound weights with a Roman numeral 'V' superimposed on each. The seal of the City of New York appears on the right front. Newman states this issue is the first to include the punctuation in the word "It's" in the counterfeiting warning. Some denominations, as the 20s, have an apostrophe in the word "It's" (pictured in Newman), while our example, like the £10 notes of most other emissions, lacks the apostrophe. On the back are some handwritten annotations: the initials TB are upside down right of center, the initials NM are found in a very light ink near the upper border and to the left, while a darker M is to the right and finally in the upper right corner in a light brown ink J. R. Wr[ight] ? Click here to view the annotated back.
Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 08/23/97, lot 463.
