Early Paper Money of America / North Carolina / 1779 May 15 Act

Early Paper Money of America (NNP Edition)|£500,000 ($1,250,000) in legal tender Bills of Credit payable in Spanish milled dollars and authorized by May 15, 1779 Act. Engraved top border cut on both face and back, otherwise typeset. Printed on light coarse paper by Hugh Walker in Wilmington. Signers were John Hunt, Thomas Person, and John Taylor.

“Secret” typographical marks intended to appear as ink smears were inserted in order to help detect counterfeits, but the counterfeiters faithfully copied the secret marks. These marks on each denomination are described below.

$5 BE FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE STEADILY PURSUED. Small u over y of May [10,000]
$5 GOOD GOVERNMENT ALWAYS REVERE. Umlaut over e in Silver [10,000]
$10 AMERICAN UNION FOR EVER. DRATH instead of DEATH. Small u over y of May [10,000]
$10 VIRTUE EXCELS RICHES. Dash over y of Assembly [10,000]
$20 PEACE ON HONOURABLE TERMS. Umlaut over e of second the [10,000]
$25 A FREE COMMERCE. Q instead of 0 in right border [6,000]
$25 AMERICAN FORTITUDE DISPLAYED. Top border lettering is a mirrored image. The period after No is missing [6,000]
$50 A RIGHTEOUS CAUSE THE PROTECTION OF PROVIDENCE. Circumflex over e in Silver [2,000]
$100 A FREE COMMERCE. Q instead of 0 in right border [1,000] ▷CF◁
$250 A RIGHTEOUS CAUSE THE PROTECTION OF PROVIDENCE. Circumflex over e in Silver and dash over first i in Smithfield [1,000] ▷CF◁