Pennsylvania pound

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Obverse and reverse of a 3d note of paper currency issued by the Province of Pennsylvania and printed by Benjamin Franklin and David Hall in 1764. US-Colonial (PA-115)-Pennsylvania-18 Jun 1764.jpg
Obverse and reverse of a 3d note of paper currency issued by the Province of Pennsylvania and printed by Benjamin Franklin and David Hall in 1764.

A 8s Pennsylvania note issued in 1777. Recto Pennsylvania 8 shillings 1777 urn-3 HBS.Baker.AC 1104452.jpeg
A 8s Pennsylvania note issued in 1777.

The pound was the currency of Pennsylvania until 1793. It was created as a response to the global economic downturn caused by the collapse of the South Sea Company. [1] Initially, sterling and certain foreign coins circulated, supplemented from 1723 by local paper money, colonial scrip. Although these notes were denominated in £sd, they were worth less than sterling, with 1 Pennsylvanian shilling equalling 9d sterling.

The Pennsylvania Pound was first conceived by Francis Rawle, [2] who can be rightly called The Father of the Pennsylvania Pound. [3]

In March 1723, it issued Colonial Scrip, paper bills of credit to the amount of $60,000, made them a legal tender in all payments on pain of confiscating the debt or forfeiting the commodity, imposed sufficient penalties on all persons who presumed to make any bargain or sale on cheaper terms in case of being paid in gold or silver, and provided for the gradual reduction of the bills by enacting that one-eighth of the principal, as well as the whole interest, should be paid annually. Pennsylvania made no loans but on land security or plate deposited in the loan office, and obliged borrowers to pay 5% for the sums they took up. The scheme worked so well that, in the latter end of the year, the government emitted bills to the amount of $150,000 on the same terms. In 1729 there was a new emission of $150,000 to be reduced one-sixteenth a year. Pennsylvania was one of the last colonies that emitted a paper currency. In 1775, the colonial "scrip" currency was replaced by Continental currency. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania issued Continental currency denominated in £sd and Spanish dollars, with 1 dollar equalling 7 shillings and 6 pence. The continental currency was replaced by the United States dollar at a rate of 1000 continental dollars = 1 U.S. dollar in 1793.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian pound</span> Former currency of Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Early American currency</span> Money in the English/British American colonies and the pre-1789 United States

Early American currency went through several stages of development during the colonial and post-Revolutionary history of the United States. John Hull was authorized by the Massachusetts legislature to make the earliest coinage of the colony in 1652.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian pound</span> Currency used in Canada (1841–1858)

The pound was the currency of the Canadas until 1858. It was subdivided into 20 shillings (s), each of 12 pence (d). In Lower Canada, the sou was used, worth 12 penny. Although the £sd accounting system had its origins in sterling, the Canadian pound was never at par with sterling's pound.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut pound</span>

The pound was the currency of Connecticut until 1793. Initially, sterling coin circulated along with foreign currencies. This was supplemented by local paper money from 1709. Although the local currency was denominated in £sd, it was worth less than sterling, with 1 Connecticut shilling = 9 pence sterling. This rated the Spanish dollar at 6 Connecticut shillings. The first issue of notes is known as the "Old Tenor" issue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaware pound</span>

The pound was the currency of Delaware until 1793. Initially, sterling coin circulated along with foreign currencies. This was supplemented by local paper money from 1723. Although the local currency was denominated in £sd, it was worth less than sterling, with 1 Delaware shilling = 9 pence sterling.

The pound was the currency of Georgia until 1793. Initially, sterling coin circulated. This was supplemented from 1735 with local paper money denominated in £sd, with 1 pound = 20 shillings = 240 pence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryland pound</span> Early currency of Maryland

The pound was the currency of Maryland from 1733 until its gradual replacement with the Continental currency and later the United States dollar between the American Revolution and the early 1800s. Initially, sterling coin circulated along with foreign coins. From 1733, this was supplemented by paper money, known as "Proclamation Money", denominated in £sd, but worth less than sterling, with 1 Maryland shilling = 9 pence sterling. A second "New" issue of notes was introduced in 1751, replacing the earlier notes at a rate of 1 New shilling = 1¼ Proclamation shillings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts pound</span>

The pound was the currency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its colonial predecessors until 1793. The Massachusetts pound used the £sd currency system of 1 pound divided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence. Initially, sterling coin and foreign currencies circulated in Massachusetts, supplemented by pine tree shilling produced by the "Hull Mint" between 1652 and 1682 and by local paper money from 1690.

The pound was the currency of New Hampshire until 1793. Initially, sterling coin circulated, supplemented from 1709 by local paper money. These notes were denominated in £sd but were worth less than sterling, with 1 New Hampshire shilling = 9 pence sterling. This first issue of paper money was known as the "Old Tenor" issue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey pound</span>

The pound was the currency of New Jersey until 1793. Initially, sterling coin and some foreign currencies circulated, supplemented from 1709 by local paper money. Although the notes were denominated in £sd, they were worth less than sterling. A proclamation of Queen Anne, issued in 1704 and legislated by parliament in 1707, standardized the value of all colonial currencies at 6 colonial shillings to a full weight Spanish dollar, which was in turn equivalent to 4s.6d. sterling. This made a colonial shilling equivalent to 9d sterling and a colonial pound equivalent to 2 troy oz 18 dwt 8 gr of silver. Currency issued at this rate was referred to as “Proclamation Money”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York pound</span>

The pound was the currency of the province and state of New York until 1793. Initially, sterling coin circulated along with foreign currencies. This was supplemented by local paper money from 1709. Although these were denominated in £sd, they were worth one third less than sterling, with one New York shilling worth 8d sterling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina pound</span>

The pound was the currency of North Carolina until 1793. Initially, sterling coin circulated, supplemented from 1709 by the introduction of colonial currency denominated in pounds, shillings and pence in 1712. The North Carolina currency was worth less than sterling, with a rating of 1 North Carolina shilling = 9 pence sterling. The first issue of paper money was known as "Old Tenor" money. In 1748, "New Tenor" paper money was introduced, worth 7+12 times the Old Tenor notes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhode Island pound</span> Currency issued in the Rhode Island colony

The pound was the currency of Rhode Island until 1793. Initially, sterling coin and foreign coins circulated, supplemented by local paper money from 1710. These notes were denominated in £sd, but they were worth less than sterling, with 1 Rhode Island shilling = 9d sterling. The first issue of notes was known as the "Old Tenor" issue. This fell in value and "New Tenor" notes were introduced in 1740, worth four times the Old Tenor notes. Both Old and New Tenor notes were replaced in 1763 by "Lawful money" at a rate of 1 Lawful shilling = 6⅔ New Tenor shillings = 26⅔ old Tenor shills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Carolina pound</span>

The pound was the currency of South Carolina until 1793. Initially, sterling coin circulated, supplemented from 1703 by local paper money. Although these notes were denominated in £sd, they were worth less than sterling, with 1 South Carolina shilling = 8d sterling. The first issues were known as "Proclamation Money". They were replaced by the "Lawful Money" issue in 1748, with 1 Lawful shilling = 4⅔ Proclamation shillings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia pound</span>

The pound was the currency of Virginia until 1793. Initially, sterling coin circulated along with foreign currencies, supplemented from 1755 by local paper money. Although these notes were denominated in £sd, they were worth less than sterling, so 1 Virginia shilling was equal to 9d sterling.

The history of currency in the British colony of Grenada closely follows that of the British Eastern Caribbean territories in general. Even though Queen Anne's proclamation of 1704 brought the gold standard to the West Indies, silver pieces of eight continued to form a major portion of the circulating currency right into the latter half of the nineteenth century.

The history of currency in the British colony of Saint Lucia closely follows that of the British Eastern Caribbean territories in general. Even though Queen Anne's proclamation of 1704 brought the gold standard to the West Indies, silver pieces of eight continued to form a major portion of the circulating currency right into the latter half of the nineteenth century.

The pound was the currency of Newfoundland until 1865. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence. The Newfoundland pound was equal to sterling and sterling coin circulated, supplemented by locally produced tokens and banknotes. In 1865, the dollar was introduced at a rate of 1 dollar = 4s.2d., or 1 dollar = 50d.

References

  1. The American Weekly Mercury 2(54), The Colonial Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (December 27, 1720). (May 18, 2009)https://books.google.com/books?id=7IfQAAAAMAAJ.
  2. Francis Rawle, “Restoring the Sunk Credit of the Province of Pennsylvania with Some Remarks on its Trade.,” Early American Imprints, Series I: Evans, 1639-1800(2287), p. 6, Readex: A Division of News- Bank, Philadelphia (1721).
  3. Borawski, Thomas,"From Pennsylvania Pounds to Surveillance Money, The Bailout Debate of 1722",