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1882 Antique Promissory Note West Galway NY $55 Edward Jones Handwritten Ephemera
Approximately 3" by 8" Damge around edge see pics.
1882 Promissory Note – West Galway, New York – $55.00 – Edward Jones
A wonderful piece of 19th-century rural American financial history, this ornate promissory note dates to May 15, 1882, and was issued at West Galway, New York (Saratoga County). The maker promises to pay to the order of Edward Jones the sum of Fifty-Five Dollars, payable six months after date, at my house, with the notation "Value received, with interest."
The printed blank features stunning Victorian engraving typical of the era — a fantastical left border vignette incorporating a winged dragon, seahorse, Oriental-style castle, sailboat, and scrollwork, topped with a large dollar sign cartouche. The design is attributed to a commercial bank note printing house and bears the notation "Copyright secured" in the lower right corner. This ornate style was common in upstate New York stationery of the 1870s–1880s.
The reverse is equally interesting, bearing penciled and purple-ink notations in period handwriting that appear to document partial payment records dated 1883, including a notation reading "Balance Received" along with columns of figures — suggesting this note was actively tracked through settlement.
Document Details:
- Date: May 15, 1882
- Place: West Galway, New York (Saratoga County)
- Payee: Edward Jones
- Amount: $55.00
- Terms: Six months after date, with interest
- Reverse: Payment record notations, circa 1883
