The Late Fifties, 1756-1758

A Group with Few Survivors

Colonial North Carolina's paper money enters its middle age with five issues from 1756 through 1758. They are all typeset and display none of the artistry of their 1748 and 1754 forebears. Each issue was interest bearing at 6% with a specified payment date. All are also quite rare.

The rarest is the 1756-57 issue, authorized by a legislative session ending on September 13, 1756. Only 3400 (later records say 3600) pounds were allocated in denominations of 5, 10, 20, and 50 pounds, resulting in few actual notes. The 6% interest was due on November 10, 1757, a date printed on the note (at least the one pictured in Newman). The issue exhibits evidence of printing shortcuts, since the denomination is handwritten—there was likely only one plate. I have not seen one offered, nor found an image of one on the Internet.

The remaining four issues are not quite so elusive. The Act of May 28, 1758 (the date is printed on the notes) allocated 5306 pounds in denominations from 10 shillings through 5 pounds. The 6% interest was payable on September 29, 1758. Like the issue just before this one, these notes have hand-written denominations, but this is the last North Carolina colonial note lacking a printed value. This issue appears to be the first North Carolina paper money promising "DEATH to Counterfeit." You will be challenged to find an example.

The next issue was authorized on November 21, 1757, a date not appearing on the note. These have printed denominations, four different ones from 10 shillings through 5 pounds, 9500 pounds total. They bear the partial date "Tenth Day of December next," referring to the interest due date. This note, like the entire late 50s series, is uniface.

The fourth note in the series was authorized by an act on May 4, 1758, a date printed on the note. 7000 pounds of notes were printed in three denominations, 10, 20 and 40 shillings. The interest due date, December 12, 1759, is also printed on the note.

The last of the series was authorized by an act on December 22, 1758, a date printed on the note. 4000 pounds were authorized in three denominations, 10, 20, and 40 shillings. The Assembly's meeting place for this legislation was Edenton, a name printed on the note. If you wish to collect an example of each place name on North Carolina colonial paper money, this is the one that will elude you until it finally empties your wallet.

The design and execution of the late 50s notes suggest that printing resources and skill were lacking. Newman says that the first four were printed by James Davis, North Carolina's own governmental printer. While the Edenton issue is stylistically similar to the others, Newman doesn't indicate a printer.

Gallery of Late Fifties Notes

Continue to The Sixties through 1775...