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CC-39. Continental Currency. July 22, 1776. $2. PMG Very Fine 30.

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CC-39. Continental Currency. July 22, 1776. $2. PMG Very Fine 30.

No. 33482. Signed by Benjamin Levy and John McHenry. Emblem of Grain being threshed by a flail. Latin motto TRIBULATIO DITAT, which Newman translates "Affliction Improves It." Although a couple of the borders are a trifle rough, one could easily straighten those out if he so chooses. This note appears to be reasonably mundane at first glance, but it is not. The bold red signature of Benjamin Levy always adds plenty of value to any Continental. Levy was the only Jewish signer of Continental Currency. It was long thought that Ben Jacobs also descended from one of the twelve tribes, but that theory was debunked several years ago. The fifth edition of Newman's Early Paper Money of America states that Levy and McHenry were not signers of this July 22, 1776 emission, which is clearly not the case. We have done a voluminous search of auction results and can only find two other examples bearing either of these signers from this series, and both together on the same note. One was a $4 note, which was a soiled Extremely Fine, that realized $776.25 back in a 2004 sale. The other was a $30 note, which we called About Extremely Fine, that realized $528.75 in our 2013 ANA sale. The aforementioned $4 note bore serial number 33451, and the $30 note displayed serial number 33540. This evening's offering has serial number 33482. It seems apparent to your knowledgeable cataloger that there was obviously a short range of sheets signed by these two men and that it was a very limited group, as evidenced by the dearth of known survivors. There are very knowledgeable collectors of Continental Currency signers that no doubt will see this as an incredibly intriguing piece deserving of further study.

Estimate: $1,000 - $1,500.

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18 Aug 2021
USA, Costa Mesa, CA
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[ translate ]

CC-39. Continental Currency. July 22, 1776. $2. PMG Very Fine 30.

No. 33482. Signed by Benjamin Levy and John McHenry. Emblem of Grain being threshed by a flail. Latin motto TRIBULATIO DITAT, which Newman translates "Affliction Improves It." Although a couple of the borders are a trifle rough, one could easily straighten those out if he so chooses. This note appears to be reasonably mundane at first glance, but it is not. The bold red signature of Benjamin Levy always adds plenty of value to any Continental. Levy was the only Jewish signer of Continental Currency. It was long thought that Ben Jacobs also descended from one of the twelve tribes, but that theory was debunked several years ago. The fifth edition of Newman's Early Paper Money of America states that Levy and McHenry were not signers of this July 22, 1776 emission, which is clearly not the case. We have done a voluminous search of auction results and can only find two other examples bearing either of these signers from this series, and both together on the same note. One was a $4 note, which was a soiled Extremely Fine, that realized $776.25 back in a 2004 sale. The other was a $30 note, which we called About Extremely Fine, that realized $528.75 in our 2013 ANA sale. The aforementioned $4 note bore serial number 33451, and the $30 note displayed serial number 33540. This evening's offering has serial number 33482. It seems apparent to your knowledgeable cataloger that there was obviously a short range of sheets signed by these two men and that it was a very limited group, as evidenced by the dearth of known survivors. There are very knowledgeable collectors of Continental Currency signers that no doubt will see this as an incredibly intriguing piece deserving of further study.

Estimate: $1,000 - $1,500.

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Sale price
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Estimate
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Time, Location
18 Aug 2021
USA, Costa Mesa, CA
Auction House
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