 State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. 1777 Written Date Certificate. 4% Interest Bearing Note due within Five Years. No.1827. Dated ''March 19'' [written], 1777. Issued for ''Fifty'' [written] Dollars. Signed by Jos. Clarke. Printed on white laid paper. 93mm by 73mm. Uniface. Horizontal format as opposed to standard vertical Rhode Island style. With border cuts on three sides and ornamental pattern at far right, typeset texts, Rhode Island seal at left, signature space at the bottom. Payee, denomination, and day and month of date are hand written. No imprint. Anderson/Smythe RI 9; Rarity 8 (1-3 known). Newman, page 393.
This is a very rare written denomination note and a rare series. Until the Springfield Museum Collection offering (in our Coin Galleries April, 2005 Sale), we had not catalogued or handled an example from the issue. This note is interest bearing and listed in the Anderson/Smythe catalogue. This note has the denomination written in instead of being partly printed. The only example of the type and series in the Ford-Boyd collection.
An important note on the State as the majority were redeemed for later redemption certificates (longer term and at 6% rates). Solid paper and attractive. About Very Fine. Quarter folded with a long diagonal corner fold. There is a short vertical slit near the top. Mottled toning and two deeper foxing stains at the top. Endorsed on the back as ''Redeemed'' and this should explain the great rarity of the issue.
Ex Maryland Historical Society Collection Sale (NASCA, May 27-28, 1977, lot 330).
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