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HENRY MIDDLETON Signed Colonial Currency South Carolina April 1775 20Pounds Note

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:7,500.00 USD Estimated At:9,000.00 - 12,000.00 USD
HENRY MIDDLETON Signed Colonial Currency South Carolina April 1775 20Pounds Note
Autographs
Exceedingly Rare “Henry Middleton” President of the Continental Congress Signed South Carolina Note Rarity Having NO CANCEL and is Most Likely the Finest Known
HENRY MIDDLETON (1717-1784). President of the Continental Congress from South Carolina (1774–1774), Delegate to the Continental Congress (1774–1774). Signed in 1775, considered the only “Collectable” example of Henry Middleton’s autograph being found on this rare 1775 South Carolina currency issue.
Colonial Currency, South Carolina. April 20, 1775. Twenty Pounds. Handwritten Date. Promissory Note. PCGS graded Extremely Fine-45. Fr. SC-97.1. Listed in Newman, THE EARLY PAPER MONEY OF AMERICA. This historic note, issued one day after the start of the Revolutionary War, was only issued for two months between April and May of 1775. This exceedingly rare ornately engraved £20 South Carolina Currency Promissory Note of Citizens has a large size format that measures about 4.5” x 6.25” and being of a unique style. It is an important paper money emission from the earliest start of American Revolutionary War Era which took place just one day prior, on April 19, 1775 at Lexington Green in Massachusetts, started with “the Shot Heard Round the World”. This issue is also the earliest of any paper currency of that period emitted from the Thirteen Colonies. This historic note is very clearly and boldly Signed, “Henry Middleton” in deep dark brown ink with his huge signature measuring nearly 3” long. PCGS holder notes Apparent minor ink erosion, reflecting a small ink erosion at “20” of the date plus some others that are very trivial and scattered. There are no other detractions on the superbly engraved decorative reverse side. Its design is exceptionally ornate, showing a display of a Crowned Rose, Thistle flanking Fleur-de-lis, and a Harp. This historic South Carolina note is extremely well printed on fresh clean high quality period laid paper and has extremely pleasing eye appeal. The designs on both sides remain clear and sharp with the printed text fully readable. All four signatures and the date being written in bold rich brown ink including: “Th.(omas) Lynch,” “M.(iles) Brewton,” and “B.(enjamin) Huger”. The most important signature, “Henry Middleton” is at top of the others and measures a very large near 3” long. This £20 note is of a unique design type comprises this issue on South Carolina inclusive of a similar £50 denomination. It represents the only affordable and “Collectable” example of Henry Middleton’s signature that is rarely available to autograph collectors, as so stated and illustrated in Charles Hamilton’s classic reference book on Autographs. This example is also significantly finer in quality to the Newman illustration note, which also shows a manuscript cancel line drawn across Middleton’s name. The last example we offered was a £50 which also had one long heavy horizontal manuscript ink cancel line running directly through his name “Henry Middleton” (as is typical of other known examples) in our EAHA Auction, June 3, 2016, Lot 2112, stating “Manuscript Canceled,” PCGS graded EF-40, which sold for $4,800. This current example clearly may rank as the Finest Known and it has NO CANCEL, plus exceptional eye appeal.