Posted 08/15/2012 09:45 am
The important thing to remember was that those were contemporary, circulating counterfeits, not reproductions made in China last year to cheat you. Early money collectors trade them right alongside the originals; the reason they were made is as much a part of American history as the originals. If you were to discover a note you had collected was a contemporary counterfeit, it would hardly be worthless; in fact, you'd probably gain some sweet bragging rights! Eric P. Newman wrote a terrific book on the Early Paper Money of America, with a large appendix describing the circulating counterfeits. Most are of the Continental Currency put out by Congress; there seem to be no known counterfeits of this provincial colonial note.
