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Abkürzungen / Abbreviations
Abkürzungen und ihre Bedeutung:
Abb.
= Abbildung = Picture
AG
= Aktiengesellschaft = Joint-stock company
Faks
. = Faksimile-Unterschrift = printed signature
Nr.
= # = Nummer = number
o. D.
= ohne Datum = without date
o. Nr.
= ohne Nummer = without number
RM
= Reichsmark = reichsmark (old German Currency)
OU
= Original-Unterschrift = original signature
KB
= Kuponbogen = all coupons
KR
= Kuponreste = rest of coupons
DB
= Doppelplatt = double sheet of paper
RB
= Reichsbankschatz = Reichsbank Hort
Maße:
Alle Maße sind in cm in der Form Höhe mal Breite angegeben.
All measures mean hight x width (1 cm = 0,3937 inch).
Erhaltungsgrade:
UNC
= uncirculated, neuwertig, vollständig erhalten, ungefaltet,
außer zwischen Mantel und Kuponbogen, Papier sauber (ohne
Flecken), ungelocht usw.
EF
= extremely fine, außerordentlich fein, fast neuwertig, vorzüg-
licher Zustand, sehr leichte Gebrauchsspuren, im Mantel
höchstens einmal gefaltet (dies darf nicht zu streng genommen
werden, denn da die meisten US-Bonds großformatig sind,
wurden sie auf Westentaschenformat gefaltet, dies stellt aber
keine Wertminderung dar).
VF
= very fine, sehr fein, gefaltet, mittlere Gebrauchsspuren,
schwach gefleckt, kleinere Randeinrisse, Klammerlochungen usw.
F
= fine, stärkere Gebrauchsspuren, mehrmals gefaltet, mäßig
starke Flecken, leichte Risse sowie kleinere Fehlstellen in der Falz
möglich usw.
Introduction
We welcome you to our journey through five centuries of financial history. In this catalogue
at hand we present the 50 finest, most interesting, for the economic development most im-
portant and rarest stocks and bonds of our auction. I invite you to study the stories of the 50
bonds and shares and to look for parallels with today’s financial world.
The surprising decision of Britons, to leave the European Union, was the dominating eco-
nomic topic of the last few months. Before the Brexit, there was already a poll regarding the
independence of Scotland from the United Kingdom, which was held in 2014. There were
several discussions, wars and polls regarding a separation, since England and Scotland have
been united in 1603. Especially steeped in history was what began in 1638 and was called Bri-
tish Civil war. Trigger were differences in religious matters. In 1633, King Charles I decided
that the English Book of Common Prayer should be introduced in Scotland, a decision which
led to rioting. The Scots financed the expensive war against the English Crown by issuing a
Forced Loan. In 1649, a republic was declared and King Charles was beheaded.
Capital punishments were very common at that days. Many executions took place at the
French Revolution more than 100 years later. Depending on the offence an execution me-
thod was chosen. Noblemen were killed with the executioner’s sword,
heretics were burned at stake, political offenders were quadrisected,
and forgers were cooked alive in a kettle. The doctor Joseph-Ignace
Guillotin proposed that “the criminal shall be decapitated; this will be
done solely by means of a simple mechanism.” The “mechanism” was
defined as “a machine that beheads painlessly”. His defined goal was
to „humanize“ the decapitation and to reduce the suffering of the de-
linquents. The hangman commissioned the professor of surgery and
personal doctor of the King Antoine Louis to manufacture a killing
machine á la Guillotine. The birth of the Guillotine.
Many other products were only realized or at least supported by the
financial means that were collected by selling stocks and bonds. Alex-
ander Alexeyevich Khanzhonkov for example with his company Société
Anonyme A. Khanjonkow et Cie. produced many important Russian
Films. One of the popular films was the
Siege of Sevastopol
, which beca-
me the first Russian film shown in full feature-length in cinemas.
I invite you to start your own journey through five centuries of finan-
cial history. Look out for parallels to today’s situation. The auction of the 50 highlights will
take place on 15 October 2016 starting and 3.00 p.m. in Wiesbaden. Use this unique oppor-
tunity and write your own chapter of financial history.
Sincerely yours,
Matthias Schmitt
Scottish Forced Loan, issued 1644
Certificate of the Société
Galvanique with signature of
Joseph-Ignace Guillotin.