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Lot 264
NEWTON ISAAC: (1643-1727) English Mathematician, Astronomer & Physicist. A fine autograph D.S., Is. Newton, one page, slim oblong 8vo, n.p., 15th November 1721, to [John Grigsby] the Accountant General of the South Sea Company (‘Sr’). Newton instructs Grigsby to pay the dividends due on his holding of stock with the South Sea Company and writes, in full, ‘Pray pay to Dr Francis Fauquier the four per cent Dividend due at Midsummer last upon sixteen thousand two hundred & seventy two pounds four shillings & nine pence south sea stock in my name & his Receipt shall be your sufficient discharge from Your humble Servant, Is. Newton’. An extremely rare, bold and attractively penned document. Neatly tipped at the left edge to a contemporary oblong 8vo page removed from an album. VG Dr. John Francis Fauquier (1672-1726) Governor of the Bank of England. A French Huguenot immigrant, Fauquier came to England as a financial agent and was employed as Deputy Master of the Mint, serving under Newton and supervising copper coinage in early part of King George I’s reign. The South Sea Company was formed in 1711 with the promise of a monopoly of all trade to the Spanish colonies in South America in exchange for taking over and consolidating the national debt raised by the War of Spanish Succession (1701-1714). The value of this promise, however, was closely tied to the outcome of the war and the resulting South Sea Bubble was a complex event, the product of intersecting financial, legal, political, and cultural factors. With the War drawing to a close, there was an assumption that a treaty would be drawn up allowing trade (mainly in slaves) with Spanish America. As a result the company’s stock, with a guaranteed interest of 6%, sold well, but the relevant peace treaty, the Treaty of Utrecht made with Spain in 1713, was less favourable than had been hoped, imposing an annual tax on imported slaves and allowing the company to send only one ship each year for general trade. The success of the first voyage in 1717 was only moderate, but King George I of Great Britain became governor of the company in 1718, creating confidence in the enterprise, which was soon paying 100 % interest. In 1720 there was an incredible boom in South Sea stock, as a result of the company’s proposal, accepted by Parliament, to take over the national debt. The company expected to recoup itself from expanding trade, but chiefly from the foreseen rise in the value of its shares. These did, indeed, rise dramatically, from 128 1/2 in January 1720 to more than 1,000 in August. Those unable to buy South Sea stock were inveigled by overly optimistic company promoters or downright swindlers into unwise investments. By September the market had collapsed, and by December South Sea shares were down to 124, dragging other, including government, stock with them. Many investors were ruined, and the House of Commons ordered an inquiry, which showed that at least three ministers had accepted bribes and speculated. Many of the company’s directors were disgraced. The scandal brought Robert Walpole, Britain’s first Prime Minister, to power. He promised to seek out all those responsible for the scandal, but in the end, he sacrificed only some of those involved in order to preserve the reputations of the government’s leaders. The South Sea Company itself survived until 1853, having sold most of its rights to the Spanish government in 1750. Isaac Newton was just one of many who suffered heavy financial losses when the South Sea Company collapsed and, according to his niece, Catherine Conduitt, he lost around £20,000 – a small fortune at the time and equivalent to around £2.5 million today. It was reported that when Newton was asked about the continuance of the rising of South Sea stock he answered that ‘he could not calculate the madness of people’ and on the same subject is also quoted as remarking ‘I can calculate the movement of the stars, but not the madness of men’.
Lot 442
FOUCHE JOSEPH: (1759-1820) French Statesman, Minister of Police under Napoleon I, 1799-1810, 1815. L.S., Fouche, three pages, folio, Paris, 7 Ventose au 10 (20th February 1802), to Citizen Colin, Director General of Customs, on the printed stationery of the Minister of the General Police of the Republic, in French. Fouche informs his correspondent, 'I have received Citizen, the specific letter that you wrote to me, on the 1st of this month, about the conduct of the Marshall of the Lodge of the Gendarmerie General at Diest, department of Dyle. I am writing, as you wish, to General Moncey, Inspector General of the Gendarmerie Nationale, to request that he orders his change of residence on the spot… Continuing 'I am also writing to the Minister of Justice, to inform him of the evils which result… from the weakness of the Tribunals in the Belgian cidevaut, towards the fraudsters and smugglers.' Further adding 'You know that I have employed my own personal means to discover the smugglers and the monopoly holders in the former Belgium… What I am asking you is even more than just helping you. Using all means that are in my power, even incurring the wrath of my ministry, by paying the expenses of the agents I employ. I ought still to be responsible for rewarding them for the services they have rendered to a foreign administration.' With an annotation to the left edge of the first page, not in the hand of Fouche, stating 'We are informing him of the request of change of residence of the Marshall of the Lodge of Diest. The intervention of the Minister against fraudsters is assured to him, but the Minister asks that the recompenses due to the agents that he employs, and particularly those of Citizen Durand, not be paid by the General Police.' Some age wear and a light water stain to the foot and right edge, not affecting the text or signature, minor creasing and a few small tears to the head. G
Lot 24
A pair of 'Beard' daguerrotype portraits – Mr & Mrs Samuel Palmer (parents of the Liberal MP, John Hinde Palmer), image sizes 3.5” x 2.75”, in original ebonised wood frames with studio labels & inscriptions to verso, 'Beard's Photographic Portraits. Taken at The Institution, Top of Park Street, Bristol' (Richard Beard opened the first professional photographic studio in England in 1841 and purchased a monopoly on the Daguerrotype process in this country) See also the watercolour portrait in lot 9b
Lot 265
A large mixed lot to include Monopoly Games, a file of first edition cover stamps, a large selection of lady's purses and wallets, a large selection of key rings and fridge magnets, a vintage Sooty egg cup, a collection of crystal fruit bowls and vases, a Breville steam iron, boxed and other (2)
Lot 405
Mixed lot of toys and games: 2 x Parker Brothers Star Wars Monopoly Limited Collector's Edition (M and sealed); Hasbro Star Wars The Force Awakens Micro Machines Millenium Falcon (appears VG, stickers missing from sticker sheet, boxed); Micro Games Darth Vader Power Talker Voice Changing Mask (appears VG); Waddingtons Monopoly 60th Anniversary Edition (M and sealed); Waddingtons Monopoly 50th Anniversary Edition (appears VG boxed). (6)
Lot 279
LIVERPOOL - UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - a collection of Liverpool related Champions League memorabilia to include a "Liverpool Champions League Merchandise Available Here' laminated poster (135x268cm), a Supporters tin, a Champions of Europe Monopoly game (seal wrap damaged but present), UEFA match day programmes, seat backs from the 205 UEFA Champions League Final, passes, a tournament guide and more.
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