Sold – Mountain Road Lottery Ticket, Signed by George Washington
Lotteries in Colonial America played a significant part in the financing of both private and public ventures. It has been recorded that more than 200 lotteries were sanctioned between 1744 and 1776, and played a major role in financing roads, libraries, churches, colleges, canals and bridges. In the 1740s, the foundation of...
Lotteries in Colonial America played a significant part in the financing of both private and public ventures. It has been recorded that more than 200 lotteries were sanctioned between 1744 and 1776, and played a major role in financing roads, libraries, churches, colleges, canals and bridges. In the 1740s, the foundation of Princeton and Columbia Universities was financed by lotteries, as was the University of Pennsylvania by the Academy Lottery in 1755. During the French and Indian Wars, several colonies used lotteries to help finance fortifications and their local militia. In May 1758, the State of Massachusetts raised money with a lottery for the "Expedition against Canada." During the Revolution, Benjamin Franklin organized a lottery to raise money to purchase cannon for the defense of Philadelphia. Several of these lotteries offered prizes in the form of "Pieces of Eight," which was cash.
The Mountain Road Lottery was a project conceived in 1767 by George Washington, Captain Thomas Bullitt, and others. Captain Bullitt had served with Washington in the Virginia Regiment during the French and Indian War. The idea was to build a road through the Alleghany Mountains in Virginia and to construct a resort in the area now known as Hot Springs, Virginia. This lottery failed, in part due to there being numerous other lotteries at the time, and then the King banned all lotteries in 1769. However, Captain Bullitt eventually went ahead with the plan, and the resort became a reality without the aid of the lottery. The lottery tickets, which were signed by Washington, are collector's items; and there are only about 25 known to exist in various libraries and collections.
One of these lottery tickets, reading “1768. This Ticket [No. 358] shall entitle the Possessor to whatever Prize may happen to be drawn against it's Number in the Mountain Road Lottery,” boldly signed by Washington. The tickets that do reach the market tend to have condition problems; this, in fine condition, is as nice as any we’ve seen.
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