Description:

Francis Hopkinson Signed Rare Continental Loan Office 4th Bill of Exchange

A partly printed bill of exchange signed by Francis Hopkinson as Treasurer of Loans. 1p, measuring 8" x 4.25", Pennsylvania, dated September 23, 1778. A Fourth Bill of Exchange signed "F. Hopkinson." Watermarked "UNITED STATES" across the center and countersigned "Tho: Smith" as Commissioner of the Continental Loan-Office in the State of Pennsylvania. Directing the Commissioner or Commissioners of the United States of America, at Paris to pay John Fitch $24 in 120 Livres Tournois "for Interest due on Money borrowed by the United States…" Endorsed on verso by Fitch. PSA encapsulated to the overall size of 9.5" x 13". With flattened folds and creasing throughout. Light chipping at the edges. Lightly toned throughout. Boldly signed.

On July 27, 1778, Francis Hopkinson was elected by Congress as Commissioner of Loans. Four signed Bills of Exchange were sent across the Atlantic. If the first bill was received, it was valid and used. However, many bills were lost or captured, especially during the Revolutionary War. As soon as one of the bills was exchanged in Paris, the other three lost all value.

Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) was an American author, signer of the Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey, and Commissioner of Loans. In 1763, he was appointed customs collector for Salem, New Jersey, and from May 1766 to August 1767, he lived in England in hopes of becoming commissioner of customs for North America. When his attempts were unsuccessful, Hopkinson returned to the U.S. and operated a dry goods business in Philadelphia before obtaining a public appointment as a customs collector for New Castle, Delaware on May 1, 1772. As the American Revolution raged on, he resigned his crown-appointed positions in 1776 and went on to represent New Jersey in the Second Continental Congress, where he signed the Declaration of Independence. As part of the fledgling nation's government, he became Treasurer of the Continental Loan Office in 1778, was appointed Judge of the Admiralty Court of Pennsylvania in 1779, and helped ratify the Constitution during the Constitutional Convention in 1787. On September 24, 1789, he was nominated by President George Washington to the newly created position of Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

May 31, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000