Description:

James Monroe
Oak Hill, VA, August 13, 1821
James Monroe Handwritten Pay Order Check to John Barnes, Beautiful!
ADS

A holograph pay order, Oak Hill, Virginia, August 13, 1821. Monroe orders the cashier of the Bank of Columbia to pay $200.00 to John Barnes, a prominent merchant and financial advisor, friend of Monroe and customs collector under Thomas Jefferson. 1p. 6.5" x 3.5". Cut cancel at middle right affects a few words of text; usual folds, a pinhole at blank area of middle, very good.

In full: "Oak Hill, Virg'a August 13, 1821 Sir Pay to John Barnes on order on the 4th of Sept next two hundred dollrs for - James Monroe. The cashier of the bank of Columbia."

John Barnes (ca. 1731-1826) was a tea merchant and grocer in New York and Philadelphia and a frequent correspondent of Monroe and Jefferson, among others. He remained in Philadelphia until 1800, when the seat of government moved to Washington, where he then served as a contractor for the Treasury Department. In 1806, Jefferson appointed Barnes to be customs collector at Georgetown: "He was Jefferson's banker and commission agent [who] helped him manage the investments of Tadeusz Kosciuszko and William Short, and supplied him with groceries from 1795 until TJ's retirement." (Cordelia Jackson, "John Barnes, A Forgotten Philanthropist of Georgetown").

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.

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  • Dimensions: 6.5" x 3.5"
  • Medium: ADS

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August 27, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
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University Archives

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