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The document bears the manuscript signature of Henry Gardner, Massachusetts treasurer during the Revolution, along with the signatures of committee members William Cooper and Nathaniel Appleton. Gardner was appointed treasurer by the Massachusetts Provincial Congress in 1774 and continued as the Commonwealth’s first treasurer under its new constitution. Cooper was a prominent Boston Patriot and the city’s longtime town clerk.
Issued while the Revolutionary War was still being fought, notes of this kind represent the financial machinery that sustained Massachusetts and the American cause. Its elaborate border, composed of ornamental faces, symbols and typographical devices, served both a decorative and anti-counterfeiting purpose.
The note survives in well-used and historically evocative condition, with overall toning, staining, fold separations, edge losses and extensive old tape reinforcement on the reverse. The treasurer’s signature and portions of the obligation appear canceled or marked at the time of redemption. Despite these faults, the printed text, denomination, serial number and all three principal signatures remain visible.
An authentic fiscal document produced and circulated during the struggle for American independence.
