Details:

Lemuel Shaw autographed canceled check drawn on the New-England Bank of Boston, dated April 20, 1846. The partially printed bank check is accomplished in manuscript and signed "Lemuel Shaw" as drawer, directing payment of seventy-five dollars. The reverse bears period banking endorsements and a later collector's notation identifying the signature. An outstanding financial document signed during Shaw's tenure as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Good condition with expected banking wear, cancellation punch holes, folds, edge wear, and period handling consistent with use.

Lemuel Shaw (1781-1861) served as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1830 to 1860 and is widely regarded as one of the most influential American jurists of the nineteenth century. His opinions helped shape modern American common law, particularly in the areas of contracts, torts, labor law, and criminal law. Shaw authored the landmark decision in Commonwealth v. Hunt (1842), recognizing that labor unions were not inherently criminal conspiracies, a foundational ruling in American labor law. He was also the father-in-law of novelist Herman Melville, who dedicated Pierre; or, The Ambiguities to him. Financial documents signed by Shaw are desirable artifacts from one of the most consequential judicial careers in early American legal history.

Authentication:
Includes a full letter of authenticity from JG Autographs, Inc.

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Reference sku: 11700 1418717-1