(AMERICAN-JUDAICA).
Collection of lottery tickets and lottery advertisements, each with Jewish ...

(AMERICAN-JUDAICA).
Collection of lottery tickets and lottery advertisements, each with Jewish connection.


The lot consists of: * 1. A ticket from the Conestogoe Bridge Lottery of  1761, with the signature of Joseph Simon. * 2. A ticket from the United States Lottery of 1776, signed by J. Mease. The names Aaron Levy  and Amsell / (Andrew?) Levy are signed on the reverse. * 3. Three tickets for the Elizabeth Town and New-Brunswick Church Lottery of 1786, signed by Matthew Baker. The name Benjamin Judah is signed on the reverse of each. * 4. A ticket from the lottery of 1791 organized to purchase land alongside the Lutheran Burying Ground. Simon Gratz is signed on the reverse. * 5. A ticket from the Easton Delaware Bridge Lottery, n.d., but probably 1802. H. Gratz is signed on the reverse. * 6. A ticket from the Relief of Widows With Poor Children Lottery of 1803, signed by Naphtali Judah. * 7. Two tickets in an uncut sheet for the Lottery For the Encouragement of Literature of New York, ca 1805, signed by Isaac M. Gomez. * 8. A ticket from the Union College Lottery in Schenectady of 1811, signed by Judah S. Lazarus. * 9. A ticket for the Medical Science Lottery of New York State of 1812, signed by Judah S. Lazarus. * 10. A ticket from the Grand State Lottery of Maryland of 1818, signed by Judah S. Lazarus, and J. I. Cohen. * 11. A ticket from the University Lottery of Baltimore of 1823, signed by Joseph I. Cohen. * 12. An advertising bill for the Union Canal Lottery of 1826. The establishment of Cohen & Brothers appear prominently on the bill as the place to purchase tickets. * 13. An advertising bill for the Grand Literature Lottery (For The Promotion of Science and Literature), Baltimore. The establishment of J. I. Cohen, Jr., and Brothers, is given as the place to purchase tickets. Below is a form from Cohen’s office addressed to the recipient of lottery tickets, E. K. Ingersoll, signed and addressed by J. I. Cohen. 1827.
Total of sixteen items.
New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland: 1761-1826


With the possibility of effortless riches, lotteries were popular in America since Colonial times. Many of the lotteries were run by private individuals for profit, others were to raise funds for public works, such as the earliest item in this lot, the Conestogoe Bridge Lottery of 1761. This lottery was intended to fund a much needed bridge in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The ticket was printed by Benjamin Franklin (see G. C. Barnhill, Benjamin Franklin’s Job Printing, www.abaa.org/members-articles/benjamin-franklins-job-printing). The prizes are surprisingly grand: One of these has a top prize of $20,000; the Grand State Lottery top prize is $100,000 (in 1823!) Consequently tickets were not cheap by the standards of the day, with individual prices of $2.50 and $5 to buy in. Americans Jews were both consumers of tickets and brokers of lotteries, and in some cases licensed conductors of lotteries themselves. The Judah Brothers of New York City - Naphtali Judah, whose signature appears several times in this lot, and his brother Cary, were the trustee and treasurer respectively of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York City.