Bonds for Duties on imported goods were fairly standardized printed documents with little or no ornamentation. If the duties for an imported cargo were over $200, the owner or consignee of the cargo could either pay immediately or sign this document, which bonded him for twice the amount of the duties. Blunt’s 1837 edition of Shipmaster’s Assistant states that the regulations at that time indicated one-half the duties were to be paid within three months and the balance in six months from the importation date. The Bond illustrated here states that Messrs. Lord and Jeffery are bonded to the U.S. Government for three thousand dollars if the duties on their goods, amounting to fifteen hundred dollars, are not paid within nine months from 26 January 1825.
