Benjamin Franklin promissory notes, Passay, Paris, 15 February and 13 August, 1781

Summary

Creator:
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790
Extent:
1 folder 2 printed documents signed
Language:
French .
Preferred citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Benjamin Franklin Promissory Notes; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Background

Scope and content:

These documents were printed by Franklin at the press he established in Passy, France, while representing the new United States government in Paris. Franklin went all out to create forms which would represent the new American nation as a respectable power. For these forms, he used a sloped Roman type and fancy capitals which were unique to his press, and had the paper made to order (in England!) in the smooth wove style still little known of in France, with a strip of marbling down the center of the sheet. The sheet would have originally been twice the size you see here; it held the promissory note in duplicate. The document is "indentured," or cut apart in a wavy line through the marbling, making each copy of the promissory note (for the very large sums of money the US was borrowing from France) unique — so it would be impossible for either side to substitute a different document with, perhaps, a different sum owed.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Percy S. Brown.

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Certificates
publications (documents)

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is located on-site.

Collection has no restrictions.

Terms of access:

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the Curator of Manuscripts/University Archivist, Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML). The RBML approves permission to publish that which it physically owns; the responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

Preferred citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Benjamin Franklin Promissory Notes; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

Location of this collection:
6th Floor East Butler Library
535 West 114th St.
New York, NY 10027, United States
Link to repository site
Contact:
(212) 854-5590
rbml@library.columbia.edu