Payroll signed by George Washington on sale at RR Auction

CAIRO – 31 May 2022: RR Auction announced that a payroll document signed by George Washington, the first president of the United States of America, will be auctioned at a price ranging from $8,000 and $10,000, in mid-June.

According to the auction house, this document belongs to Potomac. It includes a list containing more than 50 names of employees of the company, from September 26 to November 12, 1786, in one sheet. It also includes an explanation of the number of working days, the rate of wages, and the salary due.

Potomac Payroll

Potomac Payroll 

It is known that this company was one of the most important interests of George Washington in the period between the end of the Revolutionary War and the beginning of his presidency. The aim was to develop the picturesque Potomac River as a navigable inland transportation route.

That's why Potomac was founded to accomplish this task using a series of locks and channels. In 1785, Washington was appointed president of the company. The company charter of 1785 provided "liberal wages" for "any number not exceeding a hundred good hands with provisions and a reasonable quantity of lives."

According to the auction house, these workers lived a difficult life, as they were required to remove a large amount of rocks and debris in exchange for salaries.