The Washington times., 1905-10-05
FEW SIxTY-D0LLAR
BILLS ARE EXTANT
Are Worth One Thousand Dollars
Apiece.

KANSAS CITY, Oct. 5.-The last
of the sixty-dollar bills, issued by
the Continental Congress of this
country in 1779. for which collectors
have been scourging the country. has
been found in Kansas City. The bill
belongs to Warren Whitney
So rare have these bills become that
there are said now to be but four of
them in this country. One is in the col
lection of the government in the Mint
IN Philadelphia, another is in the pos
session Of a collector in New York, the
third in st. Louis, and the one belong
ing TO Mr.. Whitney. According to the
valuation put upon them by collectors
they are worth $1,000 in a badly preserv-
Cd condition. while the one in Mr.
Whitney's possession is thought 20 be
worth. on account OF its excellent pre-
servation. considerably more than that.
In Family for 100 Years.
Mr.. Whitney read the account of the
discovery of one of these bills in St.
Louis and Immediately examined the
bill in his presence lie found that. ac-
cording to the description of the St
Louis bill. the two were undoubtedly
of the same Issue. This rare specimen
of Continental scrip has been in the
eB1ssy cf its possessor for longer than
100 years. When last used as n med.
ium of exchange Ii was given for six
ty-four acres of land on South Hero
island. Lake Champlain, and NAL
tcse cat.
The bill was given to my grand
father for horse in about 1873 or ls00, "
said Mr. Whitney, 'by DIR. Barnes, who
secured il from a man for a piece OF
land and a cat Cyrus Whitney. my
-.r..If
ney, my father. who. in turn. handed II
down to me- Although il is said to be
worth far in excess of its face value.
and l am a comparatively poor man, |
would not part with the bill. | intend
10 give IL to my son. who l expect VIII
In turn hand it down heretofore"
One of First Issues.
That the bill is one of the first issues
Of Continental currency there is little
Doubt 1t is printed on a handmade
linen paper. which with age has become
drab In color. On one SIDE is what ap-
pears to be an olive branch and a to-
bacco leaf, under which is the label,
Printed by Hall & Sellers, l719."> At
the top are two paragraph signs and the
words Sixty dcilars" On the opposite
side appears circle, about the circum-
ference OF which IS Latin motto.
Within the circle is a square and globe.
On the left-hand side is a column. about
which is a banner bearing the word
America To the right OF the circle
and globe is printed. THE Bearer Is en-
titled to receive Sixty Spanish nilled
dollars or an equal amount in gold or
silver, according to Resolution OF Con-
gress on the 18th day or january, Iys9.
Written In red ink in the upper left
hand corner is the serial number of the
bill. 1880. At the bottom where the
signature OF the Secretary and Record
er Of the Treasury appears in modern
paper currency are seen the signatures
OF J. Snowden and w. CANDY.
Although il has been stated heretofore
that there were but three OF these bills
in existence, there seems to be little
doubt that the scrip in possession OF
Mr.. Whitney is genuine Several ex-
perts have examined Ii and pronounced
1t to be one of the original bills issued
by this Government.