**Originally Listed At $500**

Europe, United Kingdom, 1772 CE (12th year of the reign of George III). Handwritten on vellum, this is an indenture, a legal documentation of a lease between Caleb Hicks, a yeoman from Torrington in the County of York (now Yorkshire, near Halifax) and John Hardy, also a yeoman in the same place. The document records that Caleb leased the land for a year for the price of 5 shillings. It is signed by Caleb with a seal and his name. One section of the folded document reads, "Mr Caleb Smith to Mr John Hardy: Lease for a year". Size: 21" W x 11.25" H (53.3 cm x 28.6 cm)

On the back is a stamp of King George III from the Stamp Act of 1765 (historians of the American War of Independence will immediately perk up their ears). The Arago project at the Smithsonian describes this stamp: "The embossed revenue stamp could be impressed upon ordinary paper; however, it was not possible to impress the stamp on vellum. Instead, for documents prepared on vellum, the revenue stamp was impressed upon either beige or dark blue paper, which had been glued and stapled to the vellum. The back of the staple was covered with a cypher bearing the Coat of Arms of George III, probably to prevent reuse of the embossed stamp. These cyphers are thought to be the inspiration for the first adhesive postage stamps."

Provenance: Ex-Hagar Collection

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#120761

Ink is slightly faded but highly readable. Fold marks and light wear to the edges.