Virginia Currency

July 17, 1775 - Ashby notes

An emission of £350,000 in Treasury notes redeemable by January 1, 1784 was authorized on July 17, 1775. There was not enough heavy rag paper to complete the printing of this issue so the emission was continued with the large size engraved forms remaining from the 1773 Ashby series for the 20s, £2, £3 notes as well as for a new £5 note. By Late August it was clear the Ashby forms would be exhausted before the emission was completed. From September 1st, 1775 the government used the James River Bank forms that had been left over from the April 1, 1773 emergency issue to complete the July 17, 1775 emission.

The blanks on the front of the large size Ashby forms were filled in by hand. The body of the two pound note, reads as follows (with handwritten sections added in italics): "Two Pounds / Current Money of Virginia according to / Act of Assembly passed the   17th Day of July 1755, on Ordinance of Convention   / and by appointment of said (ASSEMBLY) [Assembly put in parenthesis and   Convention   written in above] / Signed by us and endorsed by the Treasurer." Two signatures were added below and the Treasurer endorsed the form on the otherwise blank back. The forms were also numbered and indented. Ashby forms were issued for the 20s, £2, £3 notes as well as a for a new £5 note, that had not been used in 1773.