In the year 2000, Georgia came to national attention when the quarter dollar honoring that state was issued for circulation. Those who have just begun to collect coins perhaps think that this is the only numismatic memorial but in reality Georgia has had a rich numismatic history, more than most states. It all started nearly three centuries ago.
In 1729, the proprietors of the Carolinas surrendered their royal charter to King George II, freeing up the area southwards from the Savannah River for colonization by English settlers. At that point James Oglethorpe became interested and suggested that the government allow the poorer classes to settle in this area, thus giving them a fresh start in life. In June 1732, the king agreed and also accepted Oglethorpe’s proposal that the new colony be named Georgia in his honor.
The British Parliament appropriated about 800,000 Spanish dollars for expenses and part of this money was used in 1735 by Oglethorpe and his committee to back the so-called Sola bills, the first paper money to be used in the colony. These circulated until 1755 when they were called in. In the 1750s and 1760s, the colonial government made several emissions of paper money, some of it for special purposes, such as the 1762 issue to fund the coastal fortifications on the Midway River.
Georgia was not an especially happy member of the British Empire, and when relations soured between America and Britain in the
