Scheme of the First Philadelphia Lottery
Printed in The Pennsylvania Gazette, December 12, 1747.
[December 5, 1747]
Scheme of the Philadelphia Lottery, For Raising Three Thousand Pounds for the Publick Use.
Number of Prizes. Value of each. Total Value. 
£ £ 
2 of 500 are 1000
3 of 300 are 900
5 of 200 are 1000
10 of 100 are 1000
20 of 50 are 1000
40 of 25 are 1000
80 of 15 are 1200
100 of 10 are 1000
502 of 5 are 2510
2080 of 3 are 6240
Prizes 2842 First drawn 50
Blanks 7158 Last drawn 100
10000 £17000
Tickets at Forty
Shillings each, is  £20000
From which
deduct 15 per
Cent. for the
Publick Use, is
£3000
£20000

The fortunate are to receive their prizes intire, the 15 per Cent. being deducted not from the prizes after they are drawn, but from the whole sum produced by sale of the tickets before the drawing begins.

The lottery to be under the care, management and direction of William Allen, Joshua Maddox, William Masters, Samuel M’Call, senior, Edward Shippen, Thomas Leech, Charles Willing, John Kearsley, William Clymer, senior, Thomas Lawrence, junior, William Coleman, and Thomas Hopkinson; who are to dispose of the tickets, and to be on oath, and give bond for the faithful discharge of their trust.

The 15 per Cent. to be applied to such use as the said managers, together with William Wallace, John Stamper, Samuel Hazard, Philip Syng, John Mifflin, James Coultas, William Branson, Rees Meredith, Thomas Lloyd, and Benjamin Franklin, or the majority of them, shall judge most for the benefit and advantage of this city and province, our present circumstances considered.

The whole to be regulated, with respect to the tickets, the drawing, keeping the accounts, and other particulars, as near as can be according to the method practised in England. The Drawing to commence on Monday, the eighteenth day of January next, at the Court-House, in Philadelphia, under the inspection of at least three of the managers, and such other persons as shall be appointed for that purpose by the corporation of the said city, and in the presence of such adventurers as think fit to attend.

The numbers of the blanks, as well as of the prizes, will be published weekly in the Pennsylvania Gazette.

The money to be paid to the possessors of the benefit tickets, as soon as the drawing is finished, of which publick notice will be given in the Gazette.

All prizes not called for within three months after the drawing is finished, to be deemed as generously given for the same use as the 15 per Cent. and not to be demanded afterwards, but shall faithfully be applied accordingly.

The managers, and their assistants, to make up fair accounts of the disposition of the money, and publish the same within twelve months after the lottery is drawn.

Tickets are now disposing of by the said managers at their respective dwelling.

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