Early Paper Money of America / Massachusetts / 1740 September 9 Manufactory Bills
£150,000 in Manufactory Bills or Land Bank Bills issued in Boston by a private partnership of 396 participants headed by John Colman. These engraved bills were issued with land as security; were to be current at 6s8d per ounce of coined silver; and were payable to the order of Joseph Marion in 20 years in Produce or Manufactures set out in the “scheme.” Incorporation was refused and redemption of bills was forced by the Crown in 1741. The issue was the subject of spirited political and economic controversy. The bills contained the motto NEC PLURIBUS IMPAR (Not unequal to a greater number). Proofs of two incomplete trial printings exist. Signers were Samuel C. Adams, G. Chardon, Thomas Cheever, George Leonard, William Stoddard, Samuel Trusty, and Samuel Watts. Other denominations are probable.
3d Incomplete engraving ▷PR◁3d Almost Good $9775 Stack’s May 2004
6d
7s6d Seven misspellings in text ▷PR◁ (see detail below)
7s6d
20s
Engraving proof of 7s6d with handwritten notations of the following desired spelling corrections:
pence for penec
Money for Mony
per for p
Business for Busniness
Estimate for Estimat
Received for Recd
Comtte for Comtt