Early Paper Money of America / Continental Currency / 1778 April 11

Early Paper Money of America (NNP Edition)|

An aggregate of $25,000,000 in Continental Currency was authorized by Resolutions passed at Yorktown (York, Pennsylvania) on April 11, May 22, and June 20, 1778 for $15,000,000 and at Philadelphia on July 30 and Sept. 5, 1778 for $10,000,000. Known as the Yorktown issue. Newly engraved border cuts are on the face. Newly prepared nature prints are on the back of each denomination and decorative cuts were introduced to frame those nature prints. Type and typeset ornaments on the back were modified. Denominations below $4 were eliminated, the $20 reinstated, and a $40 denomination added because of inflation. A 13-star patriotic design featuring CONFEDERATION was created by Francis Hopkinson for the emblem on the $40 denomination.

The Continental Congress met at York from Sept. 30, 1777 to June 27, 1778 during which period Hall and Sellers conducted their printing business there. Due to extensive British sponsored counterfeiting the entire issue was called for exchange prior to June 1, 1779 by the Jan. 2, 1779 Resolution, but the exchange was extended to Jan. 1, 1781 by which time the bills were virtually worthless. Counterfeit detector sheets are on blue paper. Signers, emblems, mottoes, and nature prints are subsequently included in this section.

Will Nipper, via William Sommers, made the observation that certain notes of this issue are signed by Jospeh Hubley, prior to his August 8, 1778 appointment as a Continental Currency signer.

$4 [208,335] ▷DT◁ ▷CF◁
$5 Undersized S in motto [208,330] ▷DT◁ ▷CF◁
$6 [208,335] ▷DT◁
$7 [208,330] ▷DT◁ ▷CF◁
$8 [208,330] ▷DT◁ ▷CF◁
$20 [208,330] ▷DT◁ ▷CF◁
$30 [208,335] ▷DT◁
$40 [208,335] ▷DT◁ ▷CF◁