Description:

Massachusetts

State of Massachusetts Bay War Dated Lottery Certificate

State of Massachusetts Bay First Class Lottery Certificate, No. 353, dated January 18, 1779. The certificate--essentially a war bond--guaranteed repayment of the original principal of £22 and ten shillings plus 6% annual interest by January 1, 1783. Laid paper embossed with seal. Docketed verso. Overall toning, isolated stains, and a few uneven edges, else near fine. 9.5" x 6".

The partly printed and partly handwritten document was signed by the State Treasurer as "H. Gardner" at lower right, and by Lottery Committee members "I. Scollay" and "Edward Green" at lower left. The certificate features outstanding Revolutionary War era visual motifs, such as a pine tree encircled by a stylized rattlesnake at upper left, and a declaration running in italics along the bottom: "Death to Counterfeit This."

The left margins of these notes were irregularly cut when sold so that the note could be matched up to the retained stub. In this way, counterfeiting could be prevented.

The Massachusetts Historical Society concludes that the Revolutionary War bond drive--conducted both on a national and individual state level--was a failure, plagued by counterfeiting and inflation among a host of other problems. The MHS website provides the following brief history of the state's role in funding the Revolutionary War through war bonds or lottery certificates: "Beginning in 1776, Massachusetts was the first state to issue loan certificates…The United States Board of Treasury established a national lottery in 1776, and in 1779 Massachusetts established her own lottery, paying out in Massachusetts Treasury lottery certificates at 6% interest, due in 1783. When the Congress assumed the national debt on August 4, 1790, the individual state debts were liquidated and sunk in that action."

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

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, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

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 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

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

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