 Treasury of Virginia. July 14, 1780 Act. Forty Five Dollars or Thirteen Pound Ten Shillings. No.265. Signed by E. Archer, John Lyne, and Hopkins. Printed on very thin paper. Denomination printed on back, standard size approximately 105mm by 80mm. Typeset, ornamental border cuts. A classic typeset issue on Virginia with black text printing on back edge. Face plate mark 'i.c'. Choice Very Fine. Excellent paper quality, broad and even margins, and bright. Excellent type note on an issue notorious for damaged notes.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
In this Ford Part XV Sale catalogue we have discussed note grading several times. Primarily, we emphasize that applying the standards created for U.S. Federal type notes to Colonial American paper notes and fiscal paper is for the most part illogical. The paper types and wearing characteristics vary from Colony to Colony, series to series, and often different paper types within the same series.
As such, the tradition of ''fold counting'' to come up with a numerical grade designation does not cut it. Nor does looking at notes with high powered beams backwards through the note (in a darkened room) yield pinpoint accuracy either. In some cases, all that tells you is Colonial era paper mills had varying degrees of fiber thickness and quality control that was not set to modern era NASA specifications.
As such, the grading on notes from these Virginia typeset issues printed on very thin paper has always been a quandary. Most notes fall into three general grades: Fair to Good with chips and rips, Fine to Very Fine (intact notes, but counting the folds is impossible), and Superb (you might find a fold or two, or die trying). The concept of Uncirculated is virtually impossible unless you found a pack of them. Modern collectors flattened out these notes, sometime making several of the folds virtually disappear. We recommend on these particular series for collectors to grade notes based more on their eye appeal and less on their lesser detriments.
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