FRANCIS HOPKINSON SIGNED BILL OF EXCHANGE

HOPKINSON, FRANCIS (1737-1791)  American Founding Father, lawyer, jurist, author; Signer of the Declaration of Independence, as a delegate from New Jersey;  designed Continental paper money and two early versions of flags, one for the United States and one for the United States Navy;  served as Treasurer of loans from July 1778 to July of 1781, a particularly difficult time in financing for the newly formed nation.  Relatively scarce United States Partially-Printed Fourth Bill of Exchange, #1282 Signed: “F. Hopkinson,” as Treasurer of Loans. [New York] 4 February 1780.  Printed in blue and black inks.  Extremely fine condition.  One page oblong octavo.   The document reads:

“At thirty days sight of this Fourth Bill, First, Second and Third not paid, pay to William Shillaber, Or Order Thirty Dollars in One Hundred and fifty Livres Tournois for Interest due on Money borrowed by the United States.  To the Commissioners or Commissioners of the United States of America at Paris.  F. Hopkinson  [Countersigned] Nath. Appleton, commission of the Continental Loan-Office at the State of Massachusetts Bay.”

 

$1695.00

 

“These bills of exchange were issued in uncut sheets of our and were redeemable in Paris. They were watermarked United States 1, 2, 3 or 4 corresponding to the number on the bill. If the first bill was lost of captured at sea (ship captains had standing orders to weight bills of exchange and throw them overboard if stopped by a British ship of war), the holder would then send the second bill, and so on.” (Anderson)