Foundational Oregon Settlement Bond, Circa 1831
(ca. 1831) $20 membership bond in The American Society for Encouraging the Settlement of the Oregon Territory. Part-printed form, 21 x 17 cm. No. 52. Very Fine. Signed by General John McNeil (1784-1850) as President and Robert P. Williams as Secretary, both signatures ink cancelled. Die cut and stamped starburst seal of the Society, dated 1831, present at upper left. Three ancient binding holes at left margin, lightly penned "18" at right margin, vertical centerfold shows apparent splitting and deft repair on blank verso. A boldly printed and attractive certificate, produced to show that a potential emigrant to Oregon had paid their $20 "pledge" to the American Society for Encouraging the Settlement of the Oregon Territory to embark upon an overland voyage to the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, modern-day Portland, Oregon. The American Society was the brainchild of Hall J. Kelley, the author of the 1831 tract A General Circular to All Persons of Good Character Who Wish to Emigrate to the Oregon Territory. Kelley was the main promotional agent for the Society, which he envisioned as similar to a joint-stock company, whereby those emigrants who signed the "covenant" would help underwrite the journey westward for the whole group. Kelley's idea, and the American Society, ended up failing, with many of his planned members joining the 1832 Nathaniel Wyeth journey instead. Kelley did eventually get to Oregon in 1834, and Kelley Point in Portland is named in his honor
While a few of these apparently survive in institutional collections, including #59 at the Graff Collection at Chicago's Newberry Library and #55 at Yale, there seem to be very few of these in private hands. WorldCat lists 10 in various university libraries. This one is the only one to have been offered in numismatic circles, collected by John Ford as fiscal paper from the earliest days of the Oregon Territory. This piece brought $6,325 in the 2007 Ford XXI sale. The sale noted therein for another example at $1000, but with no date mentioned, took place in 1982 in a fixed price offering.
This is a very unusual opportunity to acquire this important and interesting relic of the earliest days of Oregon's settlement overland from the East...$6750
Remarkable 1840 Post Office Department Draft Signed by Amos Kendall
Washington, DC. 1840 Post Office Department draft to Gideon Welles, Postmaster of Hartford, Connecticut for $66.80. Very Fine. Pale blue print on off-white thin paper. Some old wrinkles and folds, spot of ink burn at crossbar of H in Hartford. Signed by Amos Kendall, the man behind the throne of Andrew Jackson. While Kendall was appointed Postmaster General (the capacity in which he signed this draft), he was perhaps Jackson's closest advisor and most active mouthpiece. His editorship of the Washington Globe made him a one-man marketing and press machine for Jackson's administration. The Jackson biography American Lion by Jon Meacham sheds valuable light on the closeness Jackson-Kendall relationship. The recipient of this draft was the lowly Postmaster of Hartford; twenty years later, Gideon Welles became Lincoln's Secretary of the Navy. That the administrations of perhaps the two greatest 19th century Presidents could be so randomly connected by such an ephemeral document is fascinating. This would be a great addition to a collection focusing on Jackson, Lincoln, or even philately...$475
Scarce 1869 Montana Territory Draft Depicting Ingots in Use
Montana, Helena. First National Bank of Helena. August 7, 1869. Counter draft for $58.71. Extremely Fine. Green print second printing, yellow printed revenue stamp underprint. Cut-cancelled at center, internal tear at ORIGINAL, spindle hole at "Pay" and a few pinholes. Good paper body, a little used but very pleasing, typical condition for one of these. This issue gains its notoriety from the vignette at left depicting a sideburned bank teller behind the counter with a pile of ingots and bags of gold dust in front of him. This one one of the proofs used by Michael Hodder to show the role of Western ingots in the commerce of the era. There were three of these in the Ford collection, netting prices between $2000 and $3000. A few more have hit the market since then, drawn out by the strong price, all from the original group that first appeared a few decades ago. If you're lucky enough to own an ingot, this makes a fine accessory and display item...$1450
Very Rare 1787 South Carolina Five Shillings Issue
South Carolina. March 28, 1787. Five shillings. Anderson SC 21 (Rarity 8), Newman page 425. Fine. Serial number 130. Signed by James Ballentine and James Kennedy. Issued as a loan to be used in paying taxes "for the years 1784, 1785, 1786, and 1787, indiscriminately" and thus a form of circulating South Carolina currency (which is why it's mentioned in Newman). I only know of three of these: this one (130), the impounded Newman piece which is illustrated in Anderson (136), and the Boyd-Ford piece now impounded in a private collection that is unlikely to ever be sold. The Boyd-Ford piece brought $4600. It was admittedly in better condition. This one shows fading in the number and signatures, several folds, some light marginal tears, and an old paper strip supporting the vertical centerfold. None of these are known issued, and no other denominations have ever been seen. This piece (and the others) retains its stub at left, which would have been indented and kept by the state. Southern paper of the Confederation period is extremely rare as a class. It is something of a miracle that even three of these have survived, and it is more than likely given the small number range that they made it out of the 19th century as a group. I would be highly surprised if, over the course of my career, I ever have another one of these to offer. Given its rarity and importance, not to mention the single auction record of nearly $5000, it seems cheap at...$2450
Continental Currency. May 10, 1775. Eight dollars. Choice Extremely Fine. Signed by R. Tuckness and R. Roberts. A good stiff note with no problems other than some light corner wear. A single nearly vertical fold is present, no pinholes. The second signature is quite faded, the first is bold. The May 10, 1775 issue of Continental Currency was the very first, authorized just weeks after Lexington and Concord. Issued in the name of "The United Colonies," this note was intended to be equivalent to a gold half Joe, the dominant gold coin in the economy, worth $8. This would make an ideal companion for a half Joe in a modern collection...$425
Pennsylvania. December 8, 1775. Thirty shillings. Uncirculated. Signed by Elisha Price, Nicholas Fairlamb, and Sketchly Morton. A nice crisp note on toned off-white paper with abundant mica flecks. Price's signature is a bit faded, the other two remain bright. One pinhole at center, otherwise choice. All three of the signers were from southern Chester County. Price was a member of the Committee of Correspondence. Fairlamb was with fellow Chester County resident General Anthony Wayne at the victory at Stony Point. Morton was the son of Declaration of Independence (and PA currency) signer John Morton; Sketchly would be a very cool name for a dog someday. These notes, though they were printed with plates engraved in the name of His Majesty George III, were signed and issued by Patriots and used for the Revolutionary cause. This denomination, thirty shillings, was equal to six British crowns, thus the illustration of six crowns on the face. A nice historic note in superb condition...$575
Virginia. $1200. May 7, 1781. VF-25 (PMG). A choice, lightly circulated example of this enormous denomination, printed in Philadelphia by John Dunlap (printer of the first copies of the Declaration of Independence) just a few months before the siege of Yorktown. In the whole range of colonial currency, this is the only $1200 issue, worth (allegedly) 30 Spanish milled dollars "at the rate of ONE for FORTY," as printed on the note. In reality, by the end of 1781 these notes were traded at one for a thousand. This example shows a somewhat toned vertical centerfold and a short healed tear in the lower left corner, but the visual appeal is excellent for the grade. There are very few colonial notes you can buy for under face value. This is one....$765
Fascinating Ohio Treasury Warrant to Pay For 1840 Presidential Election
November 15, 1840 Paulding County, Ohio Treasurer's Warrant. Issued to Alfred Snoufe (?) for "bringing in Returns of Pres. Election." Considering that one of Paulding County's townships is named Harrison, I would guess that the election's winner, William Henry Harrison, may have won the country's returns. This piece retains its stub, suggesting it was a retained copy. Some evidence of mounting is visible on the back. The glory of documents is that something so seemingly obscure -- a financial instrument for a small sum from a western Ohio county treasurer -- speaks to a broader historical theme. Paulding County borders Indiana, where Harrison made his fame as an Indian fighter and governor. When Harrison was elected in 1840, he was a resident of western Ohio. Paulding County, thanks to nearby canals, was thriving at the time. Its population in 1835, according to Wikipedia, has not been surpassed since. This would be a nice association piece with a collection of William Henry Harrison election medalets...$175