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Auction: 3012 - Great Britain Postal History & Stamps featuring the Motty Weinstein Collection
Lot: 5

POSTAL HISTORY England, Scotland and Wales 1664 (28 Feb.) entire letter addressed to the "Deputy Treasurer for Prizes at Portsmouth", the address panel inscribed "for his Ma'ties. spetiall Service" and signed "Ashley" alongside, the reverse showing two fine strikes of the "MR/2" Bishop Mark, content relating to a request for payment of £400 to the Chief Clerk to the Sub-Committee for Prizes; vertical fold well clear of the strikes. The sender, "Ashley" (Anthony Ashley Cooper, First Earl of Shaftesbury) was a most interesting character, starting the Civil War as a Royalist he changed sides and became one of the regional commanders of Parliamentary Forces, then became one of the commissioners sent to bring Charles II back to England leading to the Restoration of the Monarchy, rose to senior governmental positions, becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer (1661-72), was imprisoned in 1677 for protesting against the suspension of Parliament, encouraged persecution of Catholics, and finally, after being charged with high treason, fled to Holland, where he died. The item is accompanied by a photograph of a painting of the Earl and a précis of his life's history. Photo Estimate £ 300-400

Sold for
£750