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VINCENNES Indiana
$12 Sept 26, 1881
Common Council warrant
\"streets\"
4 POC\'s
~ 7 1/2 X 3 1/4 inches
The bold allegorical vignette of Justice, combined with original mayoral and clerk signatures, gives this piece strong visual and historical appeal. Surviving 19th‑century municipal orders with clear purpose, strong graphics, and documented audit history are increasingly scarce, making this an engaging artifact of local governance, civic accountability, and everyday urban life in the late 1800s.
Issued in 1881, this City of Vincennes Common Council payment order offers a vivid glimpse into the mechanics of municipal government during America’s post‑Reconstruction growth years. Unlike routine receipts or generic vouchers, this $12 warrant was issued specifically for street‑related expenditures, tying it directly to the development and maintenance of public infrastructure in one of Indiana’s oldest cities.
City warrants like this were never intended to survive. Once redeemed, they were audited, stamped, and typically destroyed as part of routine bookkeeping. The presence of multiple red audit and “Ways & Means” stamps confirms that this document passed fully through the city’s financial system—making its survival all the more unusual. Most examples vanished quietly into ledgers and waste The Store is open!
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