Item 28: Five Continental Currencies of South Carolina, Printed by Peter Timothy, 1776 October 19-1777 December 23
Item — Box: 16, Folder: 28
Dates
- Created: 1776 October 19-1777 December 23
Creator
- Timothy, Peter, 1724-1782 (Person)
Disclaimer for Name and Subject Authorities
Some of the name and subject authority tags have been assigned by educated guessing and estimation of persons and subjects by region, age, profession, and familial relationships. They have been thoroughly researched by using primary and secondary sources available digitally, and named in each description, or in some cases linked directly to the person tag.
Access:
All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.
Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Currency.
Condition Note:
Poor. The ink is worn and page faded.
Measurements:
4 ¼ in. x 2 ⅞ in.; 4 ¼ in. x 3 ⅛ in.
Description:
The following items, ranging in dates from October 19, 1776 to December 23, 1777, depict five Continental banknotes of South Carolina, printed by Peter Timothy under the approval of the Continental congress. It was printed during the early period of the American Revolutionary War. It was printed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Each of these bills contains the numeric value of the bill in both dollars and the exchange rate of the British pound, and received an official seal under the Continental Congress, including many graphics and latin phrases, some of which were a Rooster, with the phrase, “ET SOLI ET MARTI” (For the Sun and for Mars), and a Ship with the phrase, “MULTORUM SPES” (The Hope of Many).
The back has an official stamp and ensures to the owner that the bills are equivalent to the amount in Spanish milled dollars. The back of these bills has four Hebrew letters printed along the border. These letters were included on the bills as an anti- counterfeiting measure.
The continental currency period follows the onset and outcome of the American Revolutionary War. Like that of colonial currency, which was produced to support the local governments and needs of the colonies they served, this evolution of currency was created to support the American Revolution efforts. The Continental Congress created paper money to fund the needs of the army because they lacked the other financial powers held by the crown, such as taxing, thus they formed their own system to pay soldiers and purchase supplies. However, with nothing to back the foundation of the borrowing power in the currency, it quickly dissolved in effectiveness. Congress ended up printing past their abilities, and the value depreciated as no one in the towns or traveling merchants would accept it without the backing of gold or silver.
Location:
Charlestown, South Carolina
Transcription:
Currency 1: [Composed of printed and annotated text. Printed text is bolded below]
Front: FOUR DOLLARS SOUTH CAROLINA N.0 This Bill entitles the Bearer to receive Four Dollars of the Value of Six pounds Ten Shillings Current Money which will Be provided for by this State according to an Ordinance of October 1776. [An Official Stamp: INFESTUS TANTUM INFESTIS Elephant] L6 10 0. Back: Six Pounds Ten Shillings Four dollars, value(vertical) The State of(vertical) SOUTH-CAROLINA.(upside down)
Currency 2: [Composed of printed and annotated text. Printed text is bolded below] Front: 1 Dollar SOUTH-CAROLINA. N.0 This Bill entitled the Bearer to receive One Spanish milled Dollar, Or the Value thereof in GOLD or SILVER, According to an Act of the General Assembly, Passed, at CHARLES-TOWN, the 23rd Day of December, 1776. [An Official stamp With a palm tree on a rock] Jas Fisher Ed LightWood Hw. Farnem Back: 1 Dollar DEATH TO COUNTERFEIT £. 1 : 12 : 6 CHARLES-TOWN: Printed by Peter Timothy, 1777 Death to counterfeit
Currency 3: [Composed of printed and annotated text. Printed text is bolded below] Front: 3 DOLLARS SOUTH-CAROLINA. N.0 This Bill intitles the Bearer to receive Three Spanish milled Dollars, Or the Value thereof in Gold or Silver according to an Act of the General Assembly passed, at Charlestown, the 23rd day of December, 1776 [FATA VIAM INVENIENT; Tree stump] J McCall Hm Janum [unreadable name] Back: 3 DOLLARS DEATH to Counterfeit £. 4: 17 : 6 CHARLES-TOWN: Printed by Peter Timothey, 1777. DEATH to Counterfeit.
Currency 4: [Composed of printed and annotated text. Printed text is bolded below]
Front: VIII. Dollars. SOUTH-CAROLINA N.0 [ink faded but a number would have appeared] THIS Bill intitles (sic) [entitles] the Bearer to receive EIGHT Spanish milled DOLLARS, Or the Value thereof in Gold or Silver, According to an Act of the General Assembly. Passed, at CHARLES-TOWN, the 23d Day of December, 1776 Sir [illegible] John [illegible] [An Official Stamp Depicting a Ship and the Phrase “MULTORUM SPES” (The Hope of Many)] (13:0:0)
Along the left hand side of the page appears the phrase “EIGHT DOLLARS” printed, with “VIII” in four corners”
Back: VIII Dollars. DEATH to counterfeit. £. 13:0:0 CHARLES-TOWN PRINTED BY PET. TIMOTHY, 1777 DEATH TO COUNTERFEIT.
Currency 5: [Composed of printed and annotated text. Printed text is bolded below] Front: II DOLLARS SOUTH-CAROLINA. N.0 771 THIS BILL intitles (sic) [entitles] the Bearer to receive TWO Spanish milled DOLLARS Or the Value thereof in Gold or Silver, According to an Act of the General Assembly passed at Charles-Town, the 23rd Day of December, 1777 _____(?) Jas Fisher [A. Official stamp With a rooster on it. Has the Latin phrase “ET SOLI ET MARTI” (For the Sun and for Mars)] £ 3 . 5 . 0 —
Along the left hand side of the page appears the phrase “TWO DOLLARS” printed. Back: 2 Dollar Death to counterfeit £.3 :5: 0 CHARLES-TOWN: Printed by P. Timothety, 1777 Death to counterfeit
Front: FOUR DOLLARS SOUTH CAROLINA N.0 This Bill entitles the Bearer to receive Four Dollars of the Value of Six pounds Ten Shillings Current Money which will Be provided for by this State according to an Ordinance of October 1776. [An Official Stamp: INFESTUS TANTUM INFESTIS Elephant] L6 10 0. Back: Six Pounds Ten Shillings Four dollars, value(vertical) The State of(vertical) SOUTH-CAROLINA.(upside down)
Currency 2: [Composed of printed and annotated text. Printed text is bolded below] Front: 1 Dollar SOUTH-CAROLINA. N.0 This Bill entitled the Bearer to receive One Spanish milled Dollar, Or the Value thereof in GOLD or SILVER, According to an Act of the General Assembly, Passed, at CHARLES-TOWN, the 23rd Day of December, 1776. [An Official stamp With a palm tree on a rock] Jas Fisher Ed LightWood Hw. Farnem Back: 1 Dollar DEATH TO COUNTERFEIT £. 1 : 12 : 6 CHARLES-TOWN: Printed by Peter Timothy, 1777 Death to counterfeit
Currency 3: [Composed of printed and annotated text. Printed text is bolded below] Front: 3 DOLLARS SOUTH-CAROLINA. N.0 This Bill intitles the Bearer to receive Three Spanish milled Dollars, Or the Value thereof in Gold or Silver according to an Act of the General Assembly passed, at Charlestown, the 23rd day of December, 1776 [FATA VIAM INVENIENT; Tree stump] J McCall Hm Janum [unreadable name] Back: 3 DOLLARS DEATH to Counterfeit £. 4: 17 : 6 CHARLES-TOWN: Printed by Peter Timothey, 1777. DEATH to Counterfeit.
Currency 4: [Composed of printed and annotated text. Printed text is bolded below]
Front: VIII. Dollars. SOUTH-CAROLINA N.0 [ink faded but a number would have appeared] THIS Bill intitles (sic) [entitles] the Bearer to receive EIGHT Spanish milled DOLLARS, Or the Value thereof in Gold or Silver, According to an Act of the General Assembly. Passed, at CHARLES-TOWN, the 23d Day of December, 1776 Sir [illegible] John [illegible] [An Official Stamp Depicting a Ship and the Phrase “MULTORUM SPES” (The Hope of Many)] (13:0:0)
Along the left hand side of the page appears the phrase “EIGHT DOLLARS” printed, with “VIII” in four corners”
Back: VIII Dollars. DEATH to counterfeit. £. 13:0:0 CHARLES-TOWN PRINTED BY PET. TIMOTHY, 1777 DEATH TO COUNTERFEIT.
Currency 5: [Composed of printed and annotated text. Printed text is bolded below] Front: II DOLLARS SOUTH-CAROLINA. N.0 771 THIS BILL intitles (sic) [entitles] the Bearer to receive TWO Spanish milled DOLLARS Or the Value thereof in Gold or Silver, According to an Act of the General Assembly passed at Charles-Town, the 23rd Day of December, 1777 _____(?) Jas Fisher [A. Official stamp With a rooster on it. Has the Latin phrase “ET SOLI ET MARTI” (For the Sun and for Mars)] £ 3 . 5 . 0 —
Along the left hand side of the page appears the phrase “TWO DOLLARS” printed. Back: 2 Dollar Death to counterfeit £.3 :5: 0 CHARLES-TOWN: Printed by P. Timothety, 1777 Death to counterfeit
Creator
- Timothy, Peter, 1724-1782 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu