Francis Hopkinson to the American Commissioners, 9 November 1778
Francis Hopkinson6 to the American Commissioners
Three ALS:7 American Philosophical Society
Philadelphia Novr. 9th. 1778
Gentlemen.
I have to inform you that since my last of Sept 18th. I have emitted Loan Office Bills of Exchange as follows Viz
To the State New Jersey
| 10 | Setts for | 36 | Dollr. each Numbered | 989 to 998 | Inclusive |
| 10 . . | do. . . | 60 . . . . | do. . . . . | 328 to 337 | — |
| 10 . . | do. . . | 120 . . . . | do. . . . . | 327 to 336 |
To the State of Massachusetts Bay
| 48 | Setts for | 300 | Dollr. Numbered | 165 to 212 | |
| 20 . . | do. . . . . | 600 . . . . | do. . . . . | 76 to 95 |
I have the Honour to be Gentlemen, your very humble servt
Fras. Hopkinson T. L.
Commr. at Paris.
No. 2
Addressed: To / The Commissioner or Commissioners / of the United States of America / at / Paris / (Duplicate) (In public service) No. 28
6. BF’s old friend, now treasurer of loans. The commissioners were being sent bills of exchange because they had volunteered to pay the interest on them (XXIII, 470–1); for an explanation of their distribution to state loan offices see XXVII, 418. The purpose of Hopkinson’s letter was to inform the commissioners how to spot counterfeit bills. Hopkinson’s subsequent letters informing them of bills of exchange emitted to states are dated Dec. 11 (Pa. and N.J.), Jan. 4, 1779 (Mass.), Feb. 3 (Pa. and N.J.), and Feb. 20 (Md., N.Y., Mass., and Del.), and are at the APS.
7. Marked “Duplicate”, “Triplicate”, “Quadruplicate”.
8. On the lower left corner of the envelope the following admonition was written: “To be sunk if in Danger of falling into the Hands of the Enemy.”