Name/Title
Scrip of the 1840sEntry/Object ID
2016.010.0001Description
One uncut sheet of six pieces of scrip, a very light brown with black engraving. The paper is very thin. There are two pieces of 25c, two pieces of 12 1/2c, and two pieces of 6 1/4c. On the top half of the 25c pieces are three engraved motifs. The one on the right is a coin-like circle with an eagle in the center and text around the edge: "United States of America Quar. Dol." That is the only government entity mentioned on the sheet. No financial institution is named, but each piece does say "Leonardtown April 10, 1840" so presumably there was a bank here at the time. The sheet is in a heavy mylar sleeve sealed on three sides. The top edge is closed by a green label from PCGS Currency. The piece is identified as "Wm. Mitchell Uncut Sheet Leonardtown, MD KSG 70.2.1/2/3 6 1/4c-25c April 10, 1840 Remainders Eric P. Newman Collection [a black circle for EPN Collection] Very Fine 30 Apparent Small Repairs"
25c These are the two pieces on the top of the sheet. On the left short edge is an elaborate vertical design 7/8"w x 2 3/8"l of leaves and vines. The design has three openings with "25" in each. "Murphy Printer Baltimore" is printed among the foliage. On the right edge is a vertical design 7/8"w x 2 1/4"w with a sailing ship in the center and white "25" in a bullseye. "Murphy, Print. Balt." is at the bottom in tiny letters. In the top half of the central rectangle are three design elements: a black circle about 3/4" in diameter with a white 25 in the center, a 1 1/4"w x 1"h drawing of a goddess with a cornucopia and a wing seated on a pile of rocks, and a coin-like image with an eagle in the center and "United States of America Quar. Dol." around the outside. Text is under these elements in various font sizes: "This bill will be received for Twenty-Five Cents, or exchanged for Current Bank Notes, when presented in sums amounting to Five Dollars." In the lower left is "Leonardtown, April 10, 1840."
12 1/2c This piece has many of the same elements as the 25c piece. One the left edge is an engraved motif 2 1/4"h x 7/16"w with three circles top to bottom. The top one is a white 12 1/2 on a black background, a head of Washington in the center, and another white 12 1/2 in the bottom circle. The printer is not mentioned. The motif on the right edge is the same as the 25c except it says 12 1/2 instead. The printer statement is the same. The three motifs on the top half of the center rectangle are a white 12 1/2 in a black circle on the left, the goddess in the center and a coin image on the right. This "coin" has a very rough image of the royal crest of Aragon of the 1580s, white on gray. There are lions rampant in opposite corners and castles in the other corners. The not really legible text around the edge is "Hispan. et Ind. R. M. T. H." "This bill will be received for Twenty-Five Cents, or exchanged for Current Bank Notes, when presented in sums amounting to Five Dollars." In the lower left is "Leonardtown, April 10, 1840."
6 1/4c The vertical bar on the left is 7/16"w x 2 1/4h. It contains a circle above an oval above another circle. At the top, in tiny letters "Murphy & Spalding" and at the bottom of the bottom circle "Printers" Partly covering all three circles is a vertical white bar that says "Six and a Quarter Cents" in dark letters. The motif on the right edge is 1"w x 2 1/4"h. There is a bullseye on top, a rectangular image of an 1840s style train in the middle, and another bullseye on the bottom. Under that is "Murphy, Print. Balt." There are three motifs in the upper half of the central rectangle: 6 1/4 in white in a black circle, the goddess on the rocks, and the Spanish coin on the right. This coin is black on white. on the bottom half of the rectangle is the usual text: "This bill will be received for Twenty-Five Cents, or exchanged for Current Bank Notes, when presented in sums amounting to Five Dollars." In the lower left is "Leonardtown, April 10, 1840." It would take a fistful of these notes to come to $5.
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Text on verso: In the lower right corner in pencil in very small letters "MD269A 8? 0? R"Collection
Numismatic CollectionDimensions
Height
7-3/4 inWidth
12-1/4 inDimension Notes
Details: Each piece is approx. 6"w x 2 3/4"hLocation
Container
Oversize Series Box 3Shelf
Rack 10, Shelf 5Rack
Rack 10Wall
North wallRoom
Archives 1Building
Tudor HallRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Beasley, Jonathan