The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-01-16
CHEAP PAPER MONEY
THAT WAS ISSUED IN EARLY DAYS
 OF THIS COUNTRY.
Indianapolis Man Has . Curious Col- lection of the Currency of Colonial
 Times.

| Indianapolis News.
 A gentleman of this city. one of whose ancestors served in the Revolu- ! tionary War and whose known fore bears run considerably further back, has an interesting collection Of Colo nial paper money. His collection IS not large, but it contains some rare specimens, including several pieces of provincial paper money issued long be- l fore the Revolution.
 The American Colonies had no right to issue paper money. but most of them did it all the same. Massachusetts made such an issue in 1690-and other Colonies followed her example at in- tervals. The two carolinas issued $s0,- 900 of paper money in 1702. which was to be redeemed in three years by a duty on liquors, skins and furs. It was never redeemed. In 1723 Penn sylvania issued s75.OoO of paper money. which, being secured by real estate. was ultimately redeemed.
 During the Revolutionary War near ly all the Conolies issued notes and assisted Congress in flooding the coun- try with worthless currency. Some of them were queer looking things to pass for money half dollar note, issued by New York in TITS, provided that "this bill shall pass current in all pay menus Tn InlS COIOny TUT hdAl a Opehh ish milled dollar or tho value thereon in gold or silver currency.
 This promise was attested by pie ture of two bowlegged individuals sup porting shield surmounted by a crown. This was issued the year be- fore the Declaration of Independence, month before the Declaration Con- necticut issued five shilling note, de- claring that the possessor of this bill shall be paid by the treasurer or the Colony of Connecticut five shillings, lawful money, by the first day of Jan uary, A. D., one thousand seven nun dred and eighty-one."
 Vermont made an issue of one shill- ing notes, New Jersey of one shilling and sixpence, North Carolina of six dollar notes. The latter had as pledge of good faith the picture in one corner of a squirrel with tail curved over It's back and gnawing a nut. The signif1- canoe of the emblem was never ex- plained
 Maryland issued bills of three, four. six and nine pence, and so on up to three pounds, and to show that they had been prepared with due care and thought and not hastily separated with a pair of scissors, the ends of the notes were scalloped. As a supposed precau- tion against counterfeiting and to show that the note really meant what it said, the dollar note had a small picture of dollar inserted in the text.
 The best looking notes issued by any of the colonies were those of Virginia. These were copper plate engravings Of good size, filled out in ink. The first issue in TITS, bore the royal arms of Virginia, but the issue of 1776 had the motto, Sic Semper Tyrannis," instead of the royal coat of arms.
 The oldest specimen in the collection referred to Is a twenty-shilling note. issued by Pennsylvania colony, dated August 10, 1723, and printed by Ben jamin Franklin. It is a good piece Of printing and fairly good engraving. At the top is a picture of the British lion, with the figures 2os, and underneath twenty shillings," in large letters. There Is no promise to pay. On one side is the inscription: Printed by B. Franklin" and on the other: 'To coun- terfeit is death :" The space between is occupied by a curious looking plant which might be a Canada thistle or rare orchid.
 Other specimens in the collection are five-shilling note, ten shilling note. fifteen shilling note, and twenty shilling note issued after Braddock's defeat to pay the expenses of the old
  by the province of Pennsylvania and different counties of the province. This was the campaign in which Washing ton first distinguished himself, and probably he was paid off in these notes. They were issued in June. 1759. Twen- ty years later Washington served in the Revolutionary army without pay
 Another note in the collection. issued by New Jersey in 176S. says: This bill by law shall pass current in New Jer- sey for one ounce. fifteen pennyweights, of plate"
 Another curious note represents an issue by Maryland in 1742, and is for two thirds of a dollar" It has the royal arms of England at one end and the words two thirds" in bold letters around the edge.
 But the most interesting note in the collection, on account of the personal history connected with 1t, is two dol lar note issued under a resolution of Congress of May 10, TITS. This was the first issue of paper money author ized by Congress after hostilities be- gan. and was made immediately after the battle of Bunker Hill. The entire t.s,,a x1,aa @ 0On mo