Two Thirds of a Dollar
Annapolis: Printed by Anne Catherine Green and Frederick Green, 1774. Woodcut ornaments. Measures approximately 2 1/2" x 4 1/2"
This humble 1/3 dollar note from 1774 represents a tangible intersection of several noteworthy people in Colonial Annapolis.
It was printed by Anne Catherine Green and her son, Frederick, at their press on Charles Street. Final line of type on reverse reads, "'Tis DEATH to Counterfeit. Printed by A. C. and F. GREEN"
It is signed by William Eddis in his capacity as Surveyor of Customs under Governor Eden. Eddis is best known for capturing one of the most vivid and candid portrayals of Annapolis on the eve of the Revolution through his letters back to his wife in England. The Eddis letters were subsequently published in 1796 as "Letters from America."
The upper left border on the front of the note shows the initials "JG," which stand for Jonas Green. Though deceased by the of this note's printing, Jonas's widow and son reused border cuts from a previous currency issue which bore his mark. Jonas, once an apprentice under Benjamin Franklin, had been the official printer of Maryland from 1738 until his death in 1767. Green was a strong opponent of the Stamp Act, which he protested in his Maryland Gazette. He was lively character around town and prominent member of the Tuesday Club.
Another set of initials appears in the top right border of the front of this note. One can faintly make out "T.S." That stands for Thomas Sparrow, an Annapolis engraver and silversmith. Sparrow created the border cuts and the seal printed on this note. A highlight of Sparrow's work with printers was his engraved title page to "The Deputy Commissary's Guide Within the Province of Maryland," also printed by Anne Catherine and Frederick Green in the same year as this note--1774.
The April 10, 1774 emission of paper money in Maryland totaled $480,000 in indented bills without legal tender status as authorized in session of November 16, 1773. These notes contain several anti-counterfeiting measures, including mica flakes within the paper itself.
Overall light browning, minor edge wear, and a few creases. Not a cancelled note. Content remains generally legible.
Item #1684
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