1789 Connecticut Interest Bearing Note – Jedediah Huntington Signature

Description

1789 Connecticut Interest Bearing Note – Jedediah Huntington Signature
Offered for your consideration is a partly-printed interest bearing Connecticut document, signed by a former Continental Army officer. Issued by the “
STATE OF CONNECTICUT
” at its “
Treasury-Office
” on “
February 1, 1789
”, this piece states (in part) that “
The STATE OF CONNECTICUT doth owe, and hereby acknowledge the Receipt of
Two Hundred three pounds Eleven Shillings
Lawful Money, from
Daniel Bennet Esq
of
Huntington
which they promise to pay unto the said
Danl Bennet
or Order, in Spanish Milled Dollars, at the Rate of Six Shillings each, or other Gold or Silver Coins equivalent, with the Interest at Six per Cent. per Annum …
agreeably to the Directions of an Act of the GENERAL ASSEMBLY, held at Hartford, on the second Thursday of MAY, 1789.
”. This is followed by the signature of “
Jed Huntington
” in his capacity as “
Treasurer
”, while the amount and serial number appear in the upper left and right corners, respectively. All of the foregoing information is enclosed in a variously decorative frame, with “
NEW NOTES ISSUED FOR NOTES LODGED IN THE TREASURY
” printed within three sides. The lower frame bears a notation reading “
HARTFORD: PRINTED BY HUDSON AND GOODWIN
”, indicating where and by whom the piece was made. Outside of this frame, in the selvage at the bottom, is written “
£ 37=10-0 of this Note Belong Nathan Bennet
” and “
£ 15 of the principle
of Belle Ricket
” (?). The back was originally blank, though it now bears two notations reading “
Int paid to 1
st
Feby 1790
” and “
Int paid to 1 Feby 1791
”, with “
£ 203-11
” and “
£15 of this Note Belongs
”, though the last statement is unfinished. This piece would make a great addition to any Revolutionary War collection or a perfect item to frame with a portrait of Jed Huntington in his Continental Army uniform. Easy to display, interesting to research.
Jedediah Huntington
was born in Norwich, Connecticut on August 4, 1743, and graduated with honors from Harvard College twenty years later. He received a Master’s degree from Yale in 1770, after which he engaged in commercial pursuits with his father. As the political situation deteriorated, Huntington became a noted member of the Sons of Liberty, and a captain of the local militia. Promoted to the command of his regiment, he arrived at Cambridge, Massachusetts on April 26, 1775, one week after the battles of Lexington and Concord. His regiment was part of the force detailed to occupy Dorchester Heights, after which they marched with the army to New York. In April, 1776, Huntington’s unit helped repulse the British at Danbury, Connecticut. During that momentous year, they were present at Kingsbridge, Northcastle, Sidmun’s Bridge, and other scattered posts. On May 12, 1777, Huntington was promoted to brigadier general, at the request of General George Washington. In July, he joined General Putnam at Peekskill, New York, and in September, was with the main army near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was with the army in winter camp at Valley Forge through the winter of 1777-78. He continued to garrison various posts throughout the succeeding years, as well as serving on the court martial board of General Charles Lee and the court of inquiry in the case of Major Andre. At the close of the war, Huntington received the brevet rank of major general. He was one of the committee which helped draft the Constitution of the Society of the Cincinnati. After retirement from the military, he resumed business activities in his native town. He was successively chosen sheriff of the county, treasurer of Connecticut, and delegate to the state convention which adopted the Constitution of the United States. In 1789, he was appointed collector of the customs at New London, Connecticut, a position he retained until just before his death. Jedediah Huntington died on September 25, 1818 in New London, Connecticut, where he was originally buried. His remains were subsequently transferred to the family tomb in Norwich.
The presently offered document exhibits signs of expected period use, followed by reasonably good long-term storage. Toning is noted across the entire surface, imparting to the paper a beige to light tan appearance. Several darker spots are scattered throughout the text, as well as in the blank areas on the back. Numerous folds are present, the most prominent proceeding horizontally across the center. This fold has somewhat weakened the paper, with small separations noted at the left and right edges. These edges are slightly irregular at the left and top, while the others relatively straight. The contrast is average for the issue, with virtually all of the printed and manuscript additions legible (some of the manuscript additions are difficult to read due to the poor penmanship of the various writers). A large “X” cancellation is present at the center, neatly closed by three pieces of tape (this does not appear to be archival, though due to the type and thickness of the paper, it does not seem to have affected the paper to any great degree). Minor corrosion is noted where the ink is the thickest, though no paper has been lost at this time. This piece measures approximately 5⅛ x 6⅞ inches. An interesting research project for the Revolutionary War collector.
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Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
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Shreveport, LA