Most Fraudulent

Facsimile Jefferson Letter

In 1936 the Morris Plan Bank of Richmond printed 60,000 facsimiles of a real 1803 letter from Thomas Jefferson to Craven Peyton asking for additional time to pay a loan. The bank officials thought customers would be amused to learn that even Presidents had to borrow money. Since then, excited discoverers have been reporting finding these documents complete with envelope. 

They are often disappointed to find out that the presence of an envelope is evidence that their treasure is fake: Envelopes were not in use by Jefferson in 1803.

F.J.

Ulster County Gazette

A famous facsimile. Hundreds of copies of this newspaper have been reproduced. It is believed that no original copies of this are still in existence. Distinguishing features of this particular reprint are the title printed in straight Roman type, not slanted italics as in the original; parentheses, not brackets. This well-known issue contains the funeral announcement of President George Washington.

F.J.