1819 William Duane Signed Aurora Newspaper Receipt to Jacob I Cohen Jr Baltimore

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1819 William Duane Signed Aurora Newspaper Receipt to Jacob I Cohen Jr Baltimore:
$1400.00

Date: July 9, 1819

Place: Philadelphia, PA

Medium: Printed and manuscript document, boldly signed Wm Duane

Dimensions: Approx. 8 × 3 inches

Condition: Light toning, minor edge wear; Duane’s signature crisp and clear.

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📜 Description

Original printed subscription form for William Duane’s influential Jeffersonian newspaper The Aurora, completed in manuscript for Jacob I. Cohen Jr., a leading Baltimore banker and civic reformer. The form outlines “Terms of Subscription” and “Terms of Advertising” for the Daily, Country, and Weekly Aurora, with Duane’s autograph receipt below:

> “For subscription to the daily Aurora from Jan. 9, 1819 – July 9, 1819, $5. Wm Duane.”

The verso bears Duane’s ink calculations. This document reflects the cross-regional network of politically engaged readers who supported Duane’s Republican press during the early nineteenth century.

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🖋️ About William Duane (1760 – 1835)

Irish-born journalist and successor to Benjamin Franklin Bache at The Aurora, Duane became one of America’s most combative and influential editors. His paper championed Jeffersonian democracy, attacked Federalist policies, and helped shape the national Republican Party. Duane also served as Adjutant General of Pennsylvania and wrote extensively on political economy and civic duty.

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💼 About Jacob I. Cohen Jr. (1789 – 1869)

A major figure in early Baltimore history, Cohen was a banker, civic leader, and advocate for Jewish rights in the United States.

Partner in the banking firm Jacob I. Cohen Jr. & Brothers, which issued early Baltimore municipal notes and later helped establish the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.

One of the “Jew Bill” petitioners, Cohen helped secure Maryland’s 1826 act granting Jews full civil equality.

Served as president of the Baltimore City Council and on the board of the B&O Railroad.

His interest in Duane’s Aurora underscores the connection between early American finance, politics, and the fight for civil liberties.

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🏛️ Historical Significance

This 1819 subscription receipt bridges two currents of the early Republic:

1. The Republican press, embodied by William Duane’s Aurora, which shaped national political thought; and

2. Jewish civic advancement, exemplified by Jacob I. Cohen Jr.’s role in expanding religious freedom and economic modernization.

It is a remarkable association piece linking the Philadelphia and Baltimore reformist intelligentsia in the post-War of 1812 generation.

Original 1819 Aurora newspaper subscription receipt signed by editor William Duane, made out to Jacob I. Cohen Jr. of Baltimore (1789–1869), leading banker, civic leader, and advocate for Jewish rights. Printed “Terms of Subscription / Advertising” form detailing rates for the Daily, Country, and Weekly Aurora, filled out in Duane’s hand: “For subscription to the daily Aurora from Jan 9, 1819 – July 9, 1819, $5. Wm Duane.” Reverse bears Duane’s account notations.

A scarce surviving artifact uniting two early-Republic luminaries: Duane, Jeffersonian journalist and publisher, and Cohen, the Maryland financier who fought for Jewish emancipation.

Size: 8 × 3 in. Condition: Light age wear, crisp signature. Guaranteed original.