Member of the notable Lee family and signer of the Declaration of Independence from Virginia (1732–1794). ANS signed “R. H. L.,” one page, 7.25 x 2, no date but likely circa 1780s. Handwritten note regarding a financial matter, written to Massachusetts patriot Dr. Samuel Holten. In full: "Will the honorable Doctor Holten be so good as cause an estimation to be made of the value in Specie of 500 dollars loaned the 29th of Sep'r 1779 according to the Continental Table of depreciation." Professionally inlaid into a slightly larger sheet, and in fine condition.
Lee makes reference to the "Continental Table of depreciation," a system for determining the value of the Continental Dollar—paper money issued to fund the Revolution which rapidly depreciated after 1779 due to excessive printing and lack of backing by tangible assets. This overproduction led to rampant inflation, eroding public confidence in the currency. By the end of the war, the Continental Dollar had lost almost all its value, encapsulated in the phrase 'not worth a Continental.'
Dr. Samuel Holten (1738–1816) was a physician, jurist, and politician who represented the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a delegate to the Continental Congress, where he signed the Articles of Confederation.
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