 Georgia. 1776. Five Shillings. No.3222. Blue Seal. Hope with anchor. SPERANDUM. Border variety (t). Signed by Wylly, Habersham, LaVien and O'Bryen. Printed on laid paper. A rare type note and the initial color seal type on Georgia Colonial currency. As such, this is a significant type note. Fine or so. The paper is still very crisp, with strong embossing despite several folds. A fairly long internal split in the center, a partial puncture at the left center and a left edge split. However, the paper is still quite bright and most importantly, the seal color is powder blue and powerfully even and clear.
The seal is superbly struck on the paper and it projects from the field of the note with riveting blue beauty. The eye appeal is very handsome for the technical grade. Though not in the league of the Ford X Sale note (lot 4498), this is a superior note for the type. An important example for the specialist and essential for a definitive collection of Georgia Colonial paper currency.
On American Colonial currency, only the notes of colonial and independent Georgia bore seals of the very traditional sort. Round, vignetted seals were overprinted with a color inked die on notes in similitude of legal seals as they might be found affixed to official documents. The use of such seals is not unexpected in a conservative colony like Georgia, where tradition ran deep and the old ways were continued long after they had lost currency in northern colonies.
The first Georgia notes to carry seals were these sterling Five Shillings issue of 1776. Originally, these notes were to have a printed crown vignette. When Georgia officials realized the inappropriateness of such an outdated mark of allegiance to the royal authorities, it was decided to replace the crown device. The expedient chosen was to overprint on the typeset notes a round, light blue circular seal that showed a figure representative of Hope and an appropriate motto.
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