Our Collection

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

United States Lottery [Revolutionary War era United States Continental lottery ticket]

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01412.23.01 Author/Creator: United States Lottery Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Printed document signed Date: 1776 Pagination: 1 p. : Height: 5 cm, Width: 15 cm Order a Copy

Third class lottery ticket, numbered D5m276, signed by John Mease. Indicates the lottery authorized by a congressional resolution on 18 November 1776. The lottery was established to fund the Revolutionary War. Accompanied by letter about the lottery (see GLC01412.23.02).

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