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A rare, colonial “2nd forgery” with an intriguing backstory… Cape Fear (part II)…
December 29, 2025 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
A few weeks ago we featured a post regarding this same issue: “Snapshot 1775 – North Carolina Declares itself Independent!”
Tim Hughes penned the following related post which provides the backstory:
The Cape Fear Mercury, from Wilmington, North Carolina, has a “purported” issue dated June 3, 1775. As the following story informs, this would have to be one of the more interesting colonial newspapers we’ve offered, primarily for being a forgery.
This newspaper began publishing on Oct. 13, 1769, and was suspended for about five months from the fall of 1774 to the spring of 1775. It ceased publication in September, 1775.
As for the intrigue–and this is just a brief explanation–a 1905 article in Collier’s magazine focuses on the existence of a June 3, 1775 issue of the Cape-Fear Mercury which contains on the front page the Mecklensburg Resolves, or a “declaration of independence” from North Carolina some 13 months before what was declared in Independence Hall. This was a hoax, believed to have been perpetrated by surviving document signers many years after the event, in an effort to show North Carolina was first in declaring independence from England. See much more online.
The following is taken from the well-respected “History & Bibliography of American Newspapers, 1690-1820” by Clarence Brigham. We’ve not seen such text devoted to an avowed forgery as this one in his two-volume reference set, which only speaks to its significance:
“…What purported to be an issue of this paper of June 3, 1775 was exploited in Collier’s of July 1, 1905 by S. Millington Miller, who claimed that he owned the original. The reproduction printed in Collier’s shows only the heading and part of the first and second columns…The paper was immediately believed to be fraudulent & in the ‘American Historical Review’…A. S. Salley and Worthington C. Ford showed the paper to be a forgery with the heading based upon an original issue of Nov. 24, 1769 owned by the American Antiquarian Society. The same defects in type, and even fly-specks in the 1769 issue appear in the spurious 1775 heading.
Miller made up his issue by setting up three columns of new matter, which included the Mecklenburg Resolves…But in giving his issue the date of Friday, June 3, 1775, no. 294, he erred in not knowing that Friday fell on June 2, and that because of a hiatus in publishing, the number of such a paper would be no. 258; also that by June, 1775, the heading [masthead] had been altered and the cut of the royal arms omitted. Later Miller manufactured a better forgery than the one furnished to Collier’s and differing in set-up–for example, the top line of the second column in the first forgery read “ford.—Messirs. Abednego Ramsdell, Dan-“, and in the second forgery: “of Charlestown.—Isaac Gardner, Esq. of.”.
At least 3 copies of this second forgery are now located–in the American Antiquarian Society, the Clements Library at the University of of Michigan, and in the possession of Oliver R. Barreett of Chicago…All of the forgeries were printed on one side of the leaf only, differing from the usual method of printing regular issues of 18th century newspapers.”
This issue we offer is seemingly just the fourth “second forgery” known to exist, unless it is one of the three cited above. The backstory is interesting and attests to what extent some might go to insist upon the greater prominence of North Carolina in early American affairs than what is currently found in history books.
Christmas through the eyes of a newspaper from 1794…
December 25, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
As I was searching through our newspapers published on Christmas from the past in the hopes of finding one which would be potentially meaningful to our collecting friends, I came across a December 25, 1794 London Gazette which seemed to hit the mark. I’d love to know if you agree.
Under the heading “AMERICA” on page three I found the entire text of President George Washington’s State of the Union address. It is quite lengthy, and the entire text can be found online, but I was struck by the first and last paragraph – both of which are shown below. Is it me, or could these words have been penned today? Merry Christmas!
Snapshot 1775 – North Carolina Declares itself Independent!
December 19, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
According to The Cape-Fear Mercury (from Wilmington, North Carolina) dated June 3, 1775, North Carolina declared itself independent long before the 13 colonies did so in early July, 1776. However, there is a slight problem. The issue containing this announcement was a forgery! Whereas we’ve included a copy of the article below, to grasp the extent of this complex forgery, it would be best to read Tim Hughes’ explanation on the issue’s listing itself: The Cape-Fear Forgery. Enjoy.
Announcing: Catalog #361 for December, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
December 1, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Properly Directed Thankfulness – George Washington and the Foundations of a New Nation…
November 25, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
On October 3, 1789, just months into his presidency, George Washington issued the very first official presidential proclamation. Fittingly, his choice of subject set the tone for a new nation: a call for a national day of thanksgiving and prayer. In it, Washington urged the people of the United States to acknowledge “with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.” This was more than a holiday declaration—it was a reminder that gratitude, humility, and faith would form part of the nation’s foundation.
Below is the complete text of Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation as it appeared on the front page of the Gazette of the United States on October 7, 1789:
Announcing: Catalog #360 for November, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
October 31, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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Catalog #360 (for November)
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Who’s Who in Newspapers? Citizen Genêt edition…
October 10, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · 1 Comment
The 10th installment of Who’s Who in Newspapers
Citizen who? While exploring newspapers from the 18th and early 19th centuries over the past few decades, I noticed the name “Citizen Genet” appearing more than once—always tied to some sort of “affair.” As a novice historian at the time (my academic background is actually in mathematics and engineering), and given my aversion to sensationalized “yellow journalism,” I let it pass. With tens of thousands of fascinating topics to explore through our beloved collectible, I never stopped to uncover who he really was or what his “affair” involved.
Recently, however, I embraced the old adage that “it’s never too late to learn” and finally took the plunge. What I found was a story worth the effort, one that offered both historical insight and a better appreciation for the newspapers that recorded it. A summary of my discovery is as follows:
Edmond-Charles “Citizen” Genet was a French diplomat sent to the United States in 1793 to gain American support for France’s wars with Britain and other European powers. Instead of observing diplomatic protocol, he jumped right into recruiting privateers to attack British ships and encouraging Americans to take up arms against Spain. These moves directly violated President George Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation of 1793. To make matters worse, Genet bypassed Washington altogether and appealed directly to the American public, an act that came across as both disrespectful and threatening to U.S. sovereignty.
The uproar that followed—known as the “Citizen Genet Affair”—quickly became a defining moment in America’s early history. Washington demanded Genet’s recall, reinforcing both the president’s authority in foreign affairs and the new nation’s commitment to neutrality. At home, the controversy deepened political divisions: Federalists supported Washington’s cautious stance, while Democratic-Republicans sympathized with revolutionary France. In the end, Genet was granted asylum in the United States and lived out his life in New York, but his story left behind a lasting lesson in diplomacy and America’s determination to remain independent from foreign influence.
So much for jumping to conclusions regarding his “affair”. I should have known better.
The photos shown are from two articles within the Columbian Centinel, Dec. 11, 1793. – the above in full, and the below of only an excerpt due to the length of the article. If original newspapers on this topic remain available, they would be found at: CITIZEN GENET
Announcing: Catalog #359 for October, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
September 30, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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October’s catalog (#359)
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A 49 year search comes to an end… The 1765 “Tombstone” issue…
September 1, 2025 by TimHughes · Leave a Comment
There are a number of iconic American newspapers that every collector desires, most are for content alone such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, etc.
Not many are desired for both historical significance as well as graphic appeal, but such is the case with the Pennsylvania Journal of October 31, 1765. Having been aware of it for many years (photos are found in many high school history books), I had always been in the search for a genuine issue (beware: many reprints exist). I came close about 35 years ago when an institution, which had two in their collection, gave thought to exchanging one with me for an unknown Philadelphia newspaper I had discovered. Ultimately, they opted not to do the swap, so the search was back on.
It ended earlier this year.
This particular edition, famously known as the “tombstone edition,” used striking visual and textual elements to express colonial outrage over the Stamp Act tax, which required many printed materials, including newspapers, to bear a revenue stamp. This tax directly impacted printers and publishers, placing a heavy economic burden on them and fueling widespread resistance.
As seen in the photos, the masthead featured a skull and crossbones, a powerful symbol representing the “death” of the press under the weight of the Stamp Act. Also, an engraving of a coffin appears at the bottom of the back page, captioned: “The last Remains of the PENNSYLVANIA JOURNAL Which departed this Life, the 31st of October, 1765, Of a Stamp in her Vitals, Aged 23 Years.”
Publisher William Bradford begins the issue with poignant commentary, including: “I am sorry to be obliged to acquaint my readers, that as The Stamp Act is fear’d to be obligatory upon us after the First of November ensuing (the fatal to-morrow) the publisher of this paper unable to bear the burthen, has thought it expedient to stop a while, in order to deliberate whether any methods can be found to elude the chains forged for us…”.
Published just one day before the Stamp Act’s enforcement, this edition cleverly voiced dissent without yet violating the law, making it a strategic act of defiance.
This “tombstone edition” of the Pennsylvania Journal captured this economic strain and transformed it into a public rallying cry.
This edition stands as a vivid example of how the colonial press used creativity to oppose British policies, contributing to the growing revolutionary sentiment. It underscores the critical role newspapers played in shaping public opinion and mobilizing opposition in the years leading up to the American Revolution.
While other newspapers also protested the Stamp Act, the Pennsylvania Journal’s dramatic tombstone imagery made it particularly memorable and influential. It galvanized public resistance, cementing its place as a powerful symbol of defiance in American history.
Announcing: Catalog #358 for September, 2025 – Rare & Early Newspapers…
August 29, 2025 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
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September’s catalog (#358)
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