 Georgia. 1777. Seven Spanish Milled Dollars. No.4031. Blue-Green seal. Hand. ULTIMA RADIO. Border variety (e). Signed by Saltus, Andrew, Stone, Wade and O'Bryen. Printed on laid paper. A bold and crisp example of this superbly rendered seal type and motto. This is a key piece in terms of theme. As a whole, not a tremendous rarity. However, this is yet another high quality example from the Ford-Boyd Collection. For eye appeal, besides the notes we sold in the Ford X Sale in May, 2005, we have seen few that equal or surpass this note. For the grade, worthy of a ''runaway'' price as a trip to the next paper money show (or several) does not secure another like or superior to it.
On technical merits, Choice Very Fine to Extremely Fine for the purists who will count four folds from the back and perhaps some corner ''action.'' The note has fabulous paper quality as natural as it was nearly 230 years ago and it seems this was just spent for a drink at the pub and squirreled away in a neat stash, not surfacing for a century until placed in Haseltine or Chapman's hands. The seal is lighter in shade towards a natural light blue-green with the hand strongly rendered. Well margined to wide except at the extreme lower left. There is some light toning seen at the left when held at certain angles. Small ink specks on the verso that do not show to the front. Simply gorgeous and impressive. Without a doubt, a candidate for one of the greatest American Colonial note types.
The motto was meant to be ULTIMA RATIO. This seal type is one of our favorites with the hand reaching out of the base and towards the 'ULTIMA RADIO' [sic] motto with the figure tips beckoning the ''The ultimate reckoning'' symbolized.
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