Colonial Currency MD Rare July 26, 1775 $2/3 Note

Maryland Currency
1775 "Allegorical-Gunpowder" Political Propaganda Issue Political Woodblock Vignetted Note by Thomas Sparrow
Maryland, July 26, 1775, "Provincial Convention of Maryland," Two-Thirds Dollar, "Allegorical / Gunpowder" Designed Political Propaganda Revolutionary War Issue, PCGS graded Choice Fine-15.
Fr. MD-71. An extremely important historic American Patriotic theme, Anti-British Propaganda note. This July 1775, early Revolutionary War Maryland currency rarity is truly a historical American Political issue. The Allegorical vignettes displayed are unique in their design on Colonial Currency. The vignette at the upper half on its face side displays a hand-engraved woodblock printed vignette scene which has a "Folk Art" style appearance. It shows King George III setting fire to an American city with a torch, while symbolically trampling upon the Magna Charta. The border cut includes the text reads, "An appeal to HEAVEN" while the left side woodcut reads, "Pro Aris et Focis," which translates to "for altars and the hearth." The back is entirely given over to a vignette of Peace and Liberty. The face side is particularly clean, sharp and well printed. The designs being properly centered upon the handmade cotton laid period paper. The PMG holder states tape repair, as there is a small thin .75" piece of old archival style reinforcement fiber tape on the reverse top centerfold. It is nicely signed in brown ink, "T(homas) B Hodgkin". The reverse side is also nicer in quality than typically seen for this issue. Its woodcut printing block designs are well centered within four full margins. The current (1990) 5th Edition Newman reference aggressively lists a value in Fine of $12,000. Previously, a Four Dollar denomination of this rare Maryland currency issue sold in May of 2004 for over $16,000 in the Stack's, John J. Ford Jr. Collection Auction, Part III. Overall, a very collectable example of this famous Maryland historical "Allegorical" note.
KEYWORDS:
Political Currency, Colonial Currency, Historic Paper Money, Early Paper Money of America, Maryland Currency, Revolutionary War Paper Money, Colonial America, Printing Paper Money, Revolutionary War, George Washington, Continental Congress, Independence Hall, Fiat Currency, Currency Printing, Benjamin Franklin