Description:

Francis Hopkinson
Hartford, CT, December 28, 1779
Francis Hopkinson Rev. War Dated Bill of Exchange Made Out to Jedidiah Huntington, Brigadier General in the Continental Army
PPDS

Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791). Partially Printed Document Signed, "Fr. Hopkinson," as Treasurer of Loans, 1p, on watermarked laid paper measuring 8" x 3.5", Connecticut, December 28, 1779. Countersigned at lower left by John Lawrence as Commissioner of the Continental Loan Office. Bill number 1996 is made out to Jedidiah Huntington, ordering that 185 Livres Tournois be paid to him in exchange for $36. Endorsed by Huntington at verso as "J. Huntington." Expected age toning and foxing. Folds and creases. Separation at central vertical fold previously repaired with adhesive at verso. Scattered areas of small loss. Minor chipping to edges. Overall, in near very good condition and boldly signed.

Francis Hopkinson was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey and later served as a federal judge in Pennsylvania. As part of the fledgling nation's government, he was elected Treasurer of the Continental Loan Office on July 27, 1778. Bills of exchange were sent across the Atlantic, and if the first bill was received, it was valid and used. However, many bills were lost or captured, especially during the Revolutionary War. Therefore, they were issued in quadruplicate, so as to give more opportunities to redeem them. As soon as one of the bills was exchanged in Paris, the other three lost all value.

Jedediah (or Jedidiah) Huntington (1743-1818) was a general in the Continental Army. He was appointed ensign of the first Norwich militia company in October 1769, became a lieutenant in 1771, and a captain in May 1774. Meanwhile, he had received his Master's degree from Yale in 1770. In the spring of 1776, as a colonel in the 20th Regiment of colonial militia, Huntington marched to Boston. His regiment was part of the force that occupied Dorchester Heights. After the British evacuation of Boston, he marched with the army to New York, entertaining George Washington at his home in Norwich on the way. In May of 1777, Huntington became a brigadier general in the Continental Army. He marched into Valley Forge with the troops in December, but did not stay for the entire encampment. He was appointed by Washington in April to serve on a commission to study the loss of Forts Montgomery and Clinton in the state of New York. In December 1780, Huntington commanded the only Connecticut brigade that remained in service. He appears to have spent much of the remainder of the war in the West Point area. In April of 1783, he recommended that site for a military academy, and later that year he was one of a committee of four who drafted the Constitution of the Society of the Cincinnati. At the close of the war, Huntington was promoted to the rank of Major General. Huntington served as state treasurer and as delegate to the Connecticut state constitutional convention. In 1789, President Washington appointed him customs collector for the port of New London. Huntington would hold this position until his death in September 1818.

This item comes with a certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major third party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous other auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 8" x 3.5"
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