MA-256 4d - PassCo CU-64 - Paul Revere #1 Highest grade

MA-256 - Four Pence - PassCo Very CU-64 SPQ (Superior paper quality) - Massachusetts - October 16, 1778

Hand Printed by Paul Revere

#1 Highest ever graded

True Rarity:
According to the PMG Census, this stunning note is the Highest grade awarded, as their highest ranking note is listed at a AU-58. It is a true rarity, with only four examples ever graded.

High Grade:

A superb specimen that was Not cut from a sheet recently but was cut way back in 1778. That this note survived in such high grade is truly amazing. It has all the elements that an experienced collector would want: perfect centering on front, deep ink strike, signed and numbered in rich brown ink, nice embossing, and amazingly fresh paper quality.

Some important history on this note:
First of all, notice that this bill reads, "MASSACHUSETTS STATE" at top. This is very remarkable that the word "Colony" was not used on these early bills.
Known as the "Codfish note" because of the engraved Codfish at top, this copper plate was engraved by the famous patriot Paul Revere.

Revere's copper plates for the front side of the bills in the October 18, 1776 emission were redated and used for this issue. Revere also printed the face of these notes.
The scroll on the left column is upside down while the scroll on the right colum reads upward. "4 d" is positioned at all four corners. Numbering space is at top left. The Codfish at top would face right or left depending on the denomination. This example faces left.

** Because the front and back of the sheets were printed by two different printers and at different times, this series is notoriously offset. Meaning the the front and back images are rarely in alignment. After Revere finished printing the front sides of this emission, the uncut sheets were then sent to Thomas Fleet in Boston who typset and printed the back by reusing the cast cuts of the pine tree.

Nathaniel Hurd's cast cuts of a pine tree made for the back side of the October 1776 issue was also reused. However since the back of this issue was printed by Thomas Fleet (the earlier issue had been printed by John Gill) different type and border designs were used.

Denominations issued in this October 16th emission were: 2d, 3d, 4d, 6d, 8d, 9d, 12d (1s), 1s6d, 2s, 3s, 4s and 4s6d, for a total of of £8,000 in legal tender bills of credit payable in lawful money from the state treasury by October 18, 1784.

About Paul Revere:

Paul Revere (1734 – May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith, and a patriot in the American Revolution.
He was glorified after his death for his role as a messenger in the battles of Lexington and Concord, and Revere's name and his "midnight ride" are well-known in the United States as a patriotic symbol. In his lifetime, Revere was a prosperous and prominent Boston craftsman, who helped organize an intelligence and alarm system to keep watch on the British military.
Of importance to this hobby, he was also commissioned by the colony (and later state) of Massachusetts to engrave copper plates for currency, which he also hand printed.

This is a world class quality note, worthy of the finest collections.


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