The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-12-12
There Are Supposed to be Very
Few of Them Now in
Existence.
HAS A STRANGE HISTORY.
Property of a Detroit Resident
Who Would Not Part With
1t For $500.

The following is taken from the
Detroit Sunday News Tribune, and
will be found of local interest, as a
resident of Baraga has bill of the
same kind, but OF higher denomi-
! nation:
OF the rare old pieces of continental cur.
rency owned In Detroit is one treasured as an
heirloom of the grand old Depew family from
brother Lawrence, IA respected business man
OF Detroit and which IN in possession Of DR.
J. ID. Kergan of this city, direct descendant
of the royaist branch OF the Depews.
Although continental money of other denom-
nations is not 80 rare, this bit of currency,
brittle and faded with age. Is said by DR..
Kergan To be one of four bills of like denomi-
nation now in existence, and Is valued by col
lectors at 800 The fact, however, that the
bit ofpaper has been carefully treasured by
his ancestors makes the relic the more valu-
able. An interesting bit Of romance hovers
about the treasure.
Among the English coonists were four De.
pew brothers, favored In the eyes of King
George. and active in the affairs of the colony
The signing OF the Declaration of IndepenC-
ence caused a strife between the brothers, and
one OF them took up the cause .of the FEEDER al
lists against his three brothers, who arrayed
themselves on the side of the English, one of
whom. Capt John Depew, of whom DIR Kergan
Is direct descendant, was especially favored
by the king Capt John Depew, II is said,
.
and at Que time captured party of Federal
ists from whom was taken this sample Of the
temporary currency OF the new nation Capt.
Depew kept the script first thing to bring
mirth to the lips OF the British and later as o
memento of the struggle.
The bill is about one-half the size OF the
tinted paper into which Was worked coarse
toughening fiber. The border is n crude
design containing the words, "The United
Colonies, Six Dollars" at top and bottom and
al IN lar at ait her nd
To the left Of the inner circle Is u round design
containing an allegorical picture of an un
broken country and the word "Perseverando"
above. The inscription reads as follows;
This bill entities the bearer to receive SIX
Spanish Mlled DOLLARS or the value thereof
In Gold or Silver. according to n Resolution OF
Congress, passed at Philadelpdia, November
2, I7T6"
On the reverse side of the bill Is design
even more crude. Inside the border Is pict.
ure OF pine tree and the inscription: "SIx
Hal n Sellers, l776" The number of the bill Is
i0O8, showing that 1t was one of the very first
of these pledges ISSUED by the struggling
colony.
At the close of the great struggle, King
George gave to Capt. John Depew and his two
brothers n vast tract OF land In Ontario. now
the site of the city of Hamilton and where DR..
Kergan was afterward born. There lived the
royalist portion of the broken family during
the generations that followed until long after
the nations had assumed friendly relations.
S. p Gray, of Baraga, has a
continental S65 bill, which is said
to be as rare as the one above
mentioned The bill is about
the same size and design. The
number of the bill is 9O57, and
on one side is the following:
"The bearer is entitled to receive
Sixty-five Spanish Milled Dollars,
or an equal sum in Gold or Silver,
according tn resolution OF
Congress of the l4th January,
1879.
In another place on the same
side are the words: printed by
Hall and Sellers, 1919.
Mr.. Gray states that in pro-
portion to the appraised value of
the six dollar bill, his would be
worth So, 1860. 1t is certain
that there are very few of them in
existence.