Signers and Colonial

John Blair - Supreme Court Justice. Signed colonial "Money of Virginia" currency, March 4, 1773. The three pound note measures 6.5 x 5 and is also signed by Bartholomew Dandridge, younger brother of Martha Washington and on the back by the colonial Treasurer Robert Carter Nicholas. In fine condition with some edge chips but one of the fresher looking examples to survive. [The March 10, 2020 Heritage Auctions sale of a similar example noted that only 500 three pound notes from the 1773 Ashby series were printed.]

These are also known by currency collectors as Ashby Notes, after the London printing house that produced them. Counterfeiting of earlier notes and currency prompted The Virginia assembly in March 1773 to replace them with new notes. These were promises by the Assembly that the notes could be redeemed later for silver coin. As part of that pledge and further sign of authenticity each note was personally signed by the State Treasurer and two members of the Assembly. To also reduce counterfeiting the notes were printed on paper with elaborate engravings and a printed warning "Death to Counterfeit"

Blair was one of the six Justices appointed by Washington to the first Supreme Court, six being the initial number set by Congress. His autograph is one of the rarest of Supreme Court Justices. The most available source are these Virginia notes. Most of those are signed along with Peyton Randolph, the first president of the Continental Congress. This example is a less common example having been signed by Dandridge and makes for nice association between one of the first Justices and the brother-in-law of the man who appointed him. [#5663]

Ebenezer Huntington – Rev. War military officer and political leader from CT. Huntington served as an officer in Siege of Boston, the Battle of Long Island and Battle of Rhode Island. He was present with Washington at the surrender in Yorktown. He later served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. A signed document authorizing Hezekiah Cary’s pay for serving in Col. Samuel Webb’s regiment in 1781 to be delivered to Benjamin Cary. Huntington serves as a witness adding in his own hand “The above was signed in my presence Eben. Huntington Lt. Col Command”. There is some roughness at the edges. [#5219]

David Jackson Colonial physician and delegate to the Continental Congress in 1785 from Philadelphia. Single page ALS April 30, 1792. [#4917]