Title: Rare 1735 French Judicial Manuscript - Original Royal Fleur-de-lis Stamped Paper
Item Overview: For sale is a sophisticated piece of French legal ephemera dated April 21, 1735. This four-page manuscript is a formal judicial act (summons) written during the reign of King Louis XV.
Historical Relevance - The "Papier Timbré": This document is a prime example of the controversial "Stamped Paper" tax system. You can see the official Royal Stamp of the Généralité de Grenoble at the top of the first page, featuring the French Crown and the three fleur-de-lis. This tax was so despised by the public that it helped fuel the "Revolt of the Papier Timbré" and sowed the early seeds of the French Revolution.
Key Features:
Date: 1735 (clearly legible on the first page).
Region: Grenoble / Dauphiné province.
Stamp: Bold "Généralité de Grenoble" tax stamp with Royal Bourbon heraldry.
Script: Written in a professional legal hand (Greffier script), which is more structured and formal than common personal letters of the era.
Format: Large format bifolium (one large sheet folded to create four pages).
Condition: The paper is heavy, hand-laid rag paper with a high cotton content, which is why it has survived so well for nearly 300 years. There is minor "foxing" (age spots) and original fold lines, but the ink remains crisp and the paper is strong.
Interesting Insight: Unlike the 1710 promissory note (which was a private agreement), this is a "weaponized" document. It represents the moment a debt went from a friendly agreement to a court matter. The complex legal phrasing and the official stamp show the power of the French bureaucracy in the mid-18th century.
Title: Rare 1735 French Judicial Manuscript - Original Royal Fleur-de-lis Stamped Paper
Item Overview: For sale is a sophisticated piece of French legal ephemera dated April 21, 1735. This four-page manuscript is a formal judicial act (summons) written during the reign of King Louis XV.
Historical Relevance - The "Papier Timbré": This document is a prime example of the controversial "Stamped Paper" tax system. You can see the official Royal Stamp of the Généralité de Grenoble at the top of the first page, featuring the French Crown and the three fleur-de-lis. This tax was so despised by the public that it helped fuel the "Revolt of the Papier Timbré" and sowed the early seeds of the French Revolution.
Key Features:
Date: 1735 (clearly legible on the first page).
Region: Grenoble / Dauphiné province.
Stamp: Bold "Généralité de Grenoble" tax stamp with Royal Bourbon heraldry.
Script: Written in a professional legal hand (Greffier script), which is more structured and formal than common personal letters of the era.
Format: Large format bifolium (one large sheet folded to create four pages).
Condition: The paper is heavy, hand-laid rag paper with a high cotton content, which is why it has survived so well for nearly 300 years. There is minor "foxing" (age spots) and original fold lines, but the ink remains crisp and the paper is strong.
Interesting Insight: Unlike the 1710 promissory note (which was a private agreement), this is a "weaponized" document. It represents the moment a debt went from a friendly agreement to a court matter. The complex legal phrasing and the official stamp show the power of the French bureaucracy in the mid-18th century.
