Currency

Object/Artifact

Historic Hudson Valley

Name/Title

Currency

Entry/Object ID

VC.2005.33

Description

A four dollar Rhode Island legal bill of credit: front side has borders on four sides; top border has a lined ground rectangle with a dot and X pattern and "FOUR DOLLARS"; right border is a lined ground and floral design with four slanting rectangles; bottom border is a ribbon and urn combination; left border has the same design as the right border for the upper half and is misaligned with the lower half dark ground with the border having "Four Dollars 4d"; paper contains mica flakes and blue fibers and a watermark "CONFEDE- / RATION"; under top border are two rows of print over a straight line "STATE of RHODE-ISLAND and / PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS."; below is handwritten currency number "394" in dark brown ink and rows of print "Four dollars.(in script) / The possessor of this BILL shall be paid FOUR / Spanish(in script) milled DOLLARS by the Thirty-first / Day of December(in script), One Thousand Seven Hundred and / Eighty-six, with Interest in Like Money, at the Rate / of Five per Centum per Annum(in script), by the State of Rhode- / Island and Providence Plantations, according to / an Acˆt of the Legislature of the said state, of the second / Day of July(in script), 1780."; below on the bottom left corner within a border of flowers is printed in three rows "Interest.(in script) s. d. q. / Annually, 1 2 2 / Monthly, 0 1 1";next to this are the signitures "A Comstock" in dark brown ink and "C Harris" in red ink; on back the top border has a red rectangle with "Four dollars / The United States.(in script)" and two "4"s and one "IV"; right and left borders are vine wrapped staffs; bottom border is a rectangle with "THE UNITED STATES" having the word "UNITED" within a leafy frame; in center on a dark background with five hand drawn leaf shapes is a circular emblem with a red ink square and the image of a wild boar charging into a spear with the motto "AUT MORSAUT VITA DECORA (Either death or an honorable life)"; below center print in rows is "The United States ensure the Payment / of the within Bill, and will draw Bills / of Exchange for thhe Interest annually, if de- / manded, according to a Resolution of CON- / GRESS, of the 18th of March(in script), 1780. / Printed by HALL and SELLERS."

Collection

Van Cortlandt Manor Object Collection

Made/Created

Artist Information

Artist

Henry Dawkins

Attribution

Engraver

Manufacturer

Hall & Sellers

Notes

Date made: July 2,1780

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Inscription

Transcription

See description.

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Overall

Height

2-3/4 in

Width

3-1/2 in

Dimension Notes

Display Dimensions: 2 3/4 x 3 1/2 in. (7 x 8.9 cm)

Material

Paper (laid), ink, mica flakes, blue fibers, watermark

Condition

Notes

Remarks: On back ink from number signer and first signer has seeped through; scotch tape pieces on left border at 1/2" and 3 1/8" from top; surface discoloration.

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Adam Comstock

Notes

Signer

Person or Organization

Caleb Harris

Notes

Signer

Related Entries

Notes

VC.2005.34 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.35 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.36 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.37 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.12 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.13 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.14 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.15 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.16 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.17 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.18 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.19 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.20 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.21 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.22 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.23 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.24 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.25 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.26 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.27 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.28 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.29 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.30 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.31 - Currency - Similar item VC.2005.32 - Currency - Similar item

General Notes

Note Type

Curatorial Remarks

Note

Source: Box files to SS from PCR 1951-52. Accessioned July 15, 2005; acquired before; Found in Map drawer at Bellwood. General reference information on Colonial currency is in file folder VC.2005.12

Note Type

StorageNote

Note

Home Location: Historic Hudson Valley, Union Church, Storage, Shelf 29B

Note Type

Department

Note

Curatorial