Newp... 1733 Maryland

[Scott B]

I don't see too many colonial currency collectors here. But since I just started looking for examples from each Colonial Maryland emission, I thought I would share this one.

 

Few colonies were allowed to print money, let alone coin money. Coining money was illegal but in order to fund the affairs of the colony, Charles Calvert, the Fifth Baron of Baltimore, convinced King George II to allow him to create demand notes to fund colonial business in 1733. Calvert backed the notes with his holdings in the Bank of England and guaranteed them with the interest on those investments. In turn, he had notes printed in London to be issued on Maryland.

 

The same notes were used for the 1733 and 1740 emissions. In 1749, new notes were printed with the same plates with the addition of "New Bill" added below the denomination.

 

Two signatures were required in the open area. If held up to the light, you can see the watermark "MARYLAND" in the paper.

 

Quite a few of the original 1733 notes survived as blank. Calvert printed too many notes that were kept by legislators in Annapolis as souvenirs. This example is a 1 Shilling 6 Pence note graded Choice About New 58PPQ by PCGS Currency.