Fiscal History of U.S. Whaling, 1862–1872
Ju ly 1868 “Sea Letter” issued at New Bedford, stating bona fides of the whaleship Elizabeth Swift, “bound for Pacific Ocean,” in French, Spanish, English and Dutch, to “Most Serene . . . Lords, Emperors, Kings, Republics, Princes, etc., etc.” Handstamped signature of President Andrew Johnson, signed by Secretary of State William Seward, with Great Seal of the United States, certification by notary public, stamp tax at 5¢ general Certificate rate. The Elizabeth Swift was abandoned off the coast of Alaska in the “Disaster of 1871,” its company evacuated on a perilous journey of some sixty miles to the rescue ships. This Sea Letter must have been carried on that journey by Master George Bliven. The rarity of the document, coupled with the fate of the ship, make this one of the premier Whaling and Polar collectibles extant, and one of the top items of Civil War era fiscal history. The purpose of this exhibit is t...