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Letter for Premium on Salt Petre #106563

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Paper Start Price:70.00 USD Estimated At:140.00 - 200.00 USD
Letter for Premium on Salt Petre  #106563
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May 23rd, 1776, Hartford, CT. Small letter for premium on salt petre, an essential ingredient to make gunpowder. Signed by T. Seymour. Potassium nitrate was in short supply during the Revolutionary War and some recipes called for soaking soil in human or animal urine, but his was a 6 month process. This shows just how desperate the Continental Congress was for gunpowder and the poor state of gunpowder manufacturing was i the colonies. 4.5x8.25" State: City: Date: 1776