The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-02
FOUND OLD CURRENCY.
Some OF the Continental Bills Dis
covered by sIr. Chas. \. West.


covered by Dir. Chas. \. West.
In looking over some old family papers
and documents recently. Mr.. Charles n.
West came across lot OF old scrip that
he at once took TO be continental cur
rency. He took it to Mr.. w. W. Rogers.
cashier OF the Merchants National Bank,
who forwarded it TO the treasury depart
ment.
There were seven bills Of the supposed
continental currency. Mr.. Rogers. in his
letter. asked if they were really CONT
mental currency, and If so. why they were
unsigned, and whose signature was re-
quired to make them legal tender. The
substance OF the reply he received is as
follows:
The bills are in appearance. correct
representations Of continental bills. I
am not aware that any such bills issued
as currency were ever sent out unsign-
ed. 1t is probable that these are the I'M
signed notes printed on blue paper which
are occasionally met with, which were
supplied to banks TO compare with sus-
pected bills. They are usually dated
July %, ING. The amount of counterfeit
money which was in circulation during
the latter part of the revolutionary war
was enormous" The letter was signed
by J. F. Tiliman, register of the treasury.
As to the bills in question they are
printed on leaflets Of blue paper and
seem to be so arranged that they can be
put into pamphlet form. There are two
leaves of them, with four bills on each
page, one having been cut off. and are
Of the denominations respectively of $50.
$50, 81 and s., the $50 bill on one Of the
leaves being cut off.a The bills are
printed only in two colors, red and black.
and the style of type varied somewhat
for each denomination. Each denomina-
ton contains different design and mot
to. The bill reads somewhat as follows:
The United States of North America.
Twenty Dollars. The Bearer is entitled
to receive Twenty Spanish milled Dollars
or an equal sum in Gold or Silver. accord
ing to a Resolution of Congress of the 18th
January, 1873 Twenty Dollars"
The motto on the $50 bill Is wi concita-
tao" All the bills are unsigned and I'M
numbered. on the back of the bill is
picture of a leaf, around which is a bor-
der. Within this are the words Twenty
Dollars" and below Printed by Hall and
Sellers. 1779"
During the revolutionary war the Eng
lish counterfeited the continental currency
to such an extent that the government
sent out printed, unsigned notes for COM
parlson The following is an advertise
ment from a London paper which at that
time published British official documents
and proclamations:
Persons going into other countries may
be supplied with any number of coun-
terfeited congress notes for the price OF
the paper per ream. They are so nearly
and so exactly executed that there is no
risk in getting them off, it being almost
impossible to discover that they are not
genuine. This has been proved by bills
of very large amounts which have been
successfully circulated"
Such were the schemes and plots with
which our early secretaries Of the treasury
had to deal. This is only one OF
hundreds of instances. The government is
so beset with inquiries now about CONT
mental currency that it answers all queries
as to its redemption by a printed circular
stating that it is not and never was re-
deemable by the United States. BY the
act of Aug. 4. 1890, it was receivable at
the treasury in subscriptions to loans at
the rate of 500 in continental money for
one dollar in specie. BY the act of March
3, 1891, it was declared that said money
should be receivable as above until Dec
81, 1897, and no longer
1T will be seen at once from the above"
the circular concludes, that such cur
rency has no money value, even if the note
be genuine.
NJ. Rogers will keep these notes on file
at the bank as curioslties.