Details:

Potomack and Shenandoah Navigation Lottery No. 2 ticket, 6 x 2.25", issued in January 1812 by authority of the State of Maryland for the benefit of the Potomack Company. The Second Class ticket is individually numbered in red ink and signed at lower right by Jonah Thompson in his capacity as Treasurer. The reverse is additionally signed, "James Marshall Esq."

The printed ticket entitles the bearer to any prize drawn to its number, provided it was claimed within twelve months of the completion of the drawing, subject to a fifteen percent deduction. The lottery was conducted as a fundraising effort for the Potomack Company's ambitious program of improving navigation along the Potomac and Shenandoah river system. The company had been organized in the 1780s with George Washington as its first president, and from 1810 to 1818 conducted the navigation lottery in an effort to finance continued improvements.

Very good condition with expected toning, folds, and minor edge wear.

James Markham Marshall (1764-1848) was the younger brother of Chief Justice John Marshall. A lawyer and Revolutionary War veteran, he later served as a judge on the Circuit Court of the District of Columbia from 1801 to 1803. Marshall also figured directly in the events surrounding Marbury v. Madison, having been tasked with delivering several of the judicial commissions prepared at the close of the John Adams administration.

Authentication:
Includes a full letter of authenticity from JG Autographs, Inc.

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Reference sku: 11701 1418813-1