Pennsylvania: April 10, 1777
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  • Pennsylvania Index

    Pennsylvania Currency

    April 10, 1777 (in black)

    An emission of £200,000 in bills of credit according to the act of March 20, 1777 for supporting the army. This is the first issue to carry the arms of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The 3d-9d notes are smaller in size and have plates A-C with each plate having different front border cuts and one signature. Notes of 1s and higher denominations are wider than previous issues and come with a cast cut of a farm scene on the back. These bills were all printed in black ink. A subseries of this emission containing notes of 1s and above were also printed in black and red and are usually listed as a separate grouping. rinted by John Dunlap in Philadelphia on paper watermarked "PENSYL / VANIA" The bills were numbered in red with one signature on 3d through 3s notes and two signatures on 4s notes and above, one of which is in red. By an act of March 3, 1778 all previous issues were to be exchanged for this issue. These bills became invalid after January 1, 1791. Denominations issued were: 3d, 4d, 6d, 9d, 1s, 1s6d, 2s, 3s, 4s, 6s, 8s, 12s, 16s, 20s, 40s and £4.

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    3d                    Plate A                   Serial Number: 24,045                 PA 04/10/77

    Signer: Joseph Parker.

    Size: 71.5 x 59mm (front border design: 70 x 58mm; back border design: 68.5 x 55mm).

    Comments: Numbered in red ink; signed in brown ink. On the front are four border cuts and the Arms of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with a ship, plow and bundles of wheat. The denomination is keyed to a dot in the lower right corner of the seal (two dots on the 4d, three on the 6d and four on the 9d). The back has a typeset border. The watermark reads: "PENS / VANI" in two lines and is oriented horizontally from the front of the note top to bottom.

    Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 12/2/95, lot 516.

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    9d                    Plate A                    Serial Number: 146,329                  PA 04/10/77

    Signer: William Will.

    Size: 81 x 64mm (front border design: 70 x 57mm; back border design: 68 x 54mm).

    Comments: Numbered and signed in redish brown ink. On the front are four border cuts and the Arms of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with a ship, plow and bundles of wheat. The denomination is keyed to four dots in the corners of the seal (one dot on the 3d, two dots on the 4d, three on the 6d, and four dots on the 9d). The back has a typeset border. The watermark reads: "NSYL / ANIA / NSYL" on three lines and is oriented upside down (bottom to top) from the front of the note. In the third line of the watermark ther bottom half of the letters is cut off.

    Provenance:Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EAHA mail bid auction of 5/23/98, lot 436, graded extremely fine.

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    9d                    Plate C                    Serial Number: 10,831 [faded]                 PA 04/10/77

    Signer: William Kenly.

    Size: 75 x 61mm (front border design: 69.5 x 57mm; back border design: 68 x 54mm).

    Comments: Numbered and signed in red ink. On the front are four border cuts and the Arms of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with a ship, plow and bundles of wheat. The denomination is keyed to four dots in the corners of the seal (one dot on the 3d, two dots on the 4d and three on the 6d). The back has a typeset border. The watermark reads: "NSYL / ANIA / NSYL" on three lines and is oriented upside down (bottom to top) from the back of the note.

    Provenance: From the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Collection.

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    6s                  Serial Number: 5029                  PA 04/10/77

    Signers: John Browne (in red), Levi Budd.

    Size: not available

    Comments: Numbering and signature in red ink. Arms of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on the front with a ship, plow and bundles of wheat surrounded with the motto "AGRI   CULT.[URE]     COM   MERC [E]." A farm scene is on the back. Image of the back is not available.

    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 566.

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    12s                  Serial Number: 17,352                  PA 04/10/77

    Signers: James Cannon (in red), James Davison.

    Size: 65 x 103mm (front border design: 60 x 101mm; back border design: 60 x 101mm).

    Comments: Numbering and first signature in red ink; second signature in black ink. Arms of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on the front with a ship, plow and bundles of wheat surrounded with the motto "AGRI   CULT.[URE]     COM   MERC [E]." The watermark reads: "PENSYL / VANIA" in two lines and is oriented vertically from the front, top to bottom. A farm scene is on the back.

    Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 04/20/96, lot 567.

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    20s                  Serial Number: 4763 (faded)                 PA 04/10/77

    Signers: John Brown (in red ink), Caleb Davis.

    Size: 63 x 103mm (front border design: 60 x 100mm; back border design: 60 x 101mm; back design is off center, shifted about 2mm to the right).

    Comments: Numbering and first signature in red ink; second signature in black ink. Arms of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on the front with a ship, plow and bundles of wheat surrounded with the motto "AGRI   CULT.[URE]     COM   MERC [E]."" The watermark reads: "PENSYL / VANIA" in two lines and is oriented vertically from the back, reading top to bottom. A farm scene is on the back.

    Provenance: Purchased through the Robert H. Gore, Jr. Numismatic Endowment from the EANA mail bid auction of 12/2/95, lot 519.