Outstanding Collection of Signed Royal Photographs and Documents Acquired by Stanley Gibbons

LONDON, December 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Stanley Gibbons, the famous dealer in collectibles, has acquired an historically important collection of photographs and documents signed by British royalty from Edward IV in 1467 to the present day. The collection is a fascinating and important insight into British history and contains a number of unique pieces. Items from the collection are available from Fraser's Autographs gallery in London, England. Fraser's is the autograph trading division of Stanley Gibbons.

The collection contains a number of star items including:

An original engrossed Royal Proclamation, signed by King Edward IV in 1467, of a peace treaty with Brittany. The treaty was the first of a series between England and Brittany (where Edward himself been in exile) designed for their mutual support against King Louis XI of France. The Proclamation itself is in fantastic condition. Documents signed by Edward IV are the earliest that collectors of Royal signatures can realistically expect to acquire and are of the greatest rarity.

A document on vellum, signed by King Henry VIII, ordering material for clothing of court servants. It is particularly unusual to find a comprehensive list of the royal servants, who are named individually. The item is remarkable in that it has been signed twice. The document is dated at Windsor (1513). At the time of the document the King was 22 and was married to Katherine of Aragon.

A document, signed by Queen Elizabeth I, granting passage through England to Baron Sigmund Hager, one of the pioneers of Protestantism in Austria. The document is dated 1579. Queen Elizabeth I was a strong defendant of Protestantism which led to her excommunication by Pope Pius V in 1570. The document shows the association between the Protestant leaders of England and Austria. Documents signed by Elizabeth I are very scarce.

A letter from Mary, Queen of Scots, dated 1579. The letter is closed in Mary's hand "Your right loowing frend/ Marie R". Mary had signed a deed of abdication on 24th July 1567 and the infant James was crowned King of Scots on 29th July. It is noteworthy that she refers to James in the present letter as 'prince' and signs herself as Queen.

A hand written letter, dated 3 May 1787, from King George III to Prime Minister Pitt, regarding the gambling debts of his son (the Prince Regent, later George IV). The Prince Regent was well known for his extravagant lifestyle and his bad relationship with his father. One year later Great Britain faced a major crisis when King George III fell victim to a blood disorder. Fortunately George III recovered in February 1789 and it was not for another 23 years that Prince of Wales became the Prince Regent.

A picture postcard of all of King George V's children signed by all five, including the very rare signature of Prince John. The Prince signed the postcard as 'Johnnie' but a Royal aide has deleted last three letters as this way of signing did not benefit a member of the Royal family. Prince John was the youngest son of George V and Queen Mary who suffered from epilepsy and was consequently largely hidden from the public eye. He sadly died at the age of 13. An illustration of the postcard is attached.

King Edward VII signed photo: c1859 King Edward has signed whilst in Rome, this is believed to be the earliest known signed photo of a member of the Royal family.

The collection of historical Royal documents and signed photographs can also be viewed at

http://www.frasersautographs.com

along with many other fascinating items.

Fraser's Autographs is a trading division of Stanley Gibbons. It is Europe's leading autograph and memorabilia dealer with over 60,000 signatures in stock.

    
    For further information and illustrations contact:

    Richard Purkis - Director
    Ania Polyniak - Fraser's
    Tel: +44(0)20-7836-8444
    Fax: +44(0)20-7836-7342
    Email: rpurkis@stanleygibbons.com