The apparent jagged cut on this 1809 deed from Harford County, Maryland, was likely intentional.
The image in this post was made from the original deed retained by my ancestor–the grantee in this document.
Originally this deed was part of a larger piece of paper. The text of the deed was written twice and the special cut made to give one copy to each of the parties involved in the indenture. Then, if necessary, the two pieces could be put back together to authenticate the indenture. If two documents claiming to be the original did not match then one was fraudulent and it would be up to a court to adjudicate.
The cuts will only appear on the original. The record copy of this deed (on file in the land records of Harford County, Maryland) is a handwritten transcription of the text only.
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