Offered here is an original April 3, 1772 Pennsylvania Two Shillings colonial banknote, issued under authority of the Pennsylvania General Assembly during the reign of King George III. This historic piece of pre-Revolutionary American currency was printed by David Hall and William Sellers, successors to Benjamin Franklin's famed Philadelphia printing office, and bears the original handwritten signatures of John Morton, John Sellers, and Charles Humphreys.
Most notably, this note is signed by John Morton (1725–1777), one of the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence. Just four years after signing this very note, Morton cast Pennsylvania's decisive vote in favor of American independence and affixed his signature to the Declaration of Independence, making this an exceptional artifact connecting colonial commerce directly to the birth of the United States.
The reverse retains the famous anti-counterfeiting warning:
"To Counterfeit is DEATH."
An iconic reminder of the severe penalties imposed for counterfeiting colonial paper money.
John Morton occupies a unique place in American history as one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. Born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, he served as a surveyor, judge, legislator, Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly, Associate Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and delegate to both the First and Second Continental Congresses.
Perhaps his greatest historical significance came on July 2, 1776, when Pennsylvania's congressional delegation was divided over independence. Morton's affirmative vote broke the deadlock, allowing Pennsylvania to support Richard Henry Lee's Resolution for Independence. Two days later he signed the Declaration of Independence.
Morton died in 1777 before the Revolutionary War concluded, making authentic examples of his signature highly desirable among collectors of America's Founding Fathers.
John Sellers was a respected Philadelphia merchant and member of the influential Sellers family. He served as one of the officially appointed signers of Pennsylvania colonial paper money during the early 1770s. His responsibilities included validating bills of credit issued by the colony, helping maintain confidence in Pennsylvania's currency during an era of expanding commerce and increasing political tensions with Great Britain.
Charles Humphreys was a prominent Philadelphia merchant, civic leader, and longtime member of the Pennsylvania Assembly. He served in several important public offices and was entrusted with signing Pennsylvania's colonial currency. Humphreys played an important role in the financial administration of colonial Pennsylvania during the years immediately preceding the American Revolution.
The note was printed by David Hall and William Sellers, whose Philadelphia printing office succeeded that of Benjamin Franklin. Hall had been Franklin's business partner before assuming control of one of colonial America's most important printing establishments. Their imprint on Pennsylvania currency represents a direct continuation of Franklin's influential printing legacy.
This note circulated throughout colonial Pennsylvania during one of the most pivotal periods in American history. Issued only four years before the Declaration of Independence, it bears the authentic signature of John Morton, whose decisive vote helped secure Pennsylvania's support for independence.
Few historical artifacts so clearly bridge the gap between everyday colonial life and the founding of the United States. Combining colonial currency, Founding Father autographs, and the legacy of Benjamin Franklin's printing office, this is an outstanding piece of Revolutionary-era Americana.
Well-circulated with expected folds, honest wear, soiling, and paper loss consistent with an 18th-century note that saw extensive circulation. The signatures remain identifiable, and the note displays well considering its age of more than 250 years.
A superb opportunity to own an authentic piece of colonial American currency personally signed by a Signer of the Declaration of Independence—an increasingly scarce and highly collectible artifact from the dawn of the United States.