22 Jun 10 Old Lottery Tickets That Are Worth A Lot Of Money

Lotteries are very popular with Americans. The lure of easy money is very enticing Đ there are plenty of stories of blue collar workers who hit the big jackpot and are suddenly rich, and white collar workers who can quit their jobs. But did you know that lottery tickets are popular with collectors as well? Some old lottery tickets are historic and even important.

Take the earliest lottery held in the United States Đ the Massachusetts Government Lottery begun in 1744. Tickets sold for this lottery are prized because they are a very early piece of Americana, and are signed by Samuel Watts and other directors of the lottery.

Each ticket cost thirty shillings at the time of sale. Twenty-five thousand tickets were sold. The odds of winning were quite good Đ around 22% -- and the first drawing was held in Faneuil Hall. It was such a resounding success that other colonies decided to hold their own lotteries.

Benjamin Franklin even organized lotteries. He held his to raise money for purchasing arms for the military arsenal. Many collectors seek this tickets because Franklin was one of America's founding fathers.

There was even a lottery to finance the Revolutionary War. In November of 1776, the Continental Congress authorized the United States Lottery for this purpose. Many collectors of early American historical artifacts prize these lottery tickets.

Collectors are perhaps even more excited by the prospect of finding a ticket to the Mountain Road Lottery of 1768. This lottery was managed by George Washington, and his autograph is on each ticket.

In a recent auction, lottery tickets with Washington's signature sold for more than $15,000 each. If you want a piece of history to display, you can get an authentic reprint for a fraction of this price, and they are still quite striking on display.

For collectors, the thrill of finding historic lottery tickets is significant. Maybe not as much of a thrill as winning millions, but it's still quite a joy to find that ticket you've been searching for.

Read more of this writer's advice on subjects such as siamese kittens for adoption and kittens.

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