A document in French signed by Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794), in his capacity as a member of the Committee of Public Safety during the Reign of Terror, signed as "Robespierre" at lower right. Co-signed by Robespierre's fellow committee member and political rival Bertrand Barère (1755-1841), as "B Barere" just underneath Robespierre's signature. Issued from Paris, France on "Cinq Messidor de l'an II," or, June 23, 1794. Partly printed and partly handwritten on pale blue laid paper, and numbered 1,603. Expected wear including paper folds, minor edge darkening, and scattered pinholes near the left edge. Else near fine. Trimmed to an overall size of 7.375" x 6.625." Accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity from PSA/DNA Authentication Services (Newport Beach, California), and a Certificate of Authenticity from R&R Enterprises Autograph Auctions (Amherst, New Hampshire.)

The Committee of Public Safety (Comité de Salut Public) had been established in April 1793 to protect the fledgling French republic from domestic and foreign threats. When this memorandum was issued in June 1794, the third iteration of the Committee of Public Safety was in session; its eleven members included both Maximilien Robespierre and Bertrand Barère, who belonged to opposing political parties known familiarly as la Montagne [the Mountain] and le Marais [the Marsh.] Just one month after co-signing this directive regarding the city of Nanterre, Barère and his allies would publicly condemn Robespierre, ensuring not only Robespierre's arrest and execution, but those of two additional members, Georges Couthon and Louis de Saint-Just. Barère's coup thus liquidated very powerful enemies and reduced the Committee of Public Safety by 25%!

This memorandum was addressed to "the Commissioner of the Administrations, Police and Tribunals," an individual who is identified in secondary literature (Wilhelm Adolf Schmidt's "Tableaux de la Révolution Française" (1869)] as one "Hermann." The local leaders of Nanterre--a city located about 6 miles northwest of Paris--were evidently encroaching the territory of the Committee of Surveillance, a larger-scale police agency, and the Committee of Public Safety wanted this oversight corrected.

Translated in full as:

"Paris, the Fifth Messidor of Year II of the Republic one and indivisible.

The Committee of Public Safety

To the Commissioner of the Administrations, Police and Tribunals

We send you [a] copy of a notice announcing that the Municipality of Nanterre is in rivalry with the Committee of Surveillance - You will take the appropriate steps

The members of the Committee of Public Safety

[signed] Robespierre
[signed] B Barere."

During this phase of the Reign of Terror, the Committee of Public Safety was politically divided and its members were mistrustful and paranoid. In late July 1794, Robespierre delivered a speech calling for a political reckoning that would "purify" the Revolution, eliminating all corrupt "factions." The following day, referred to in French history as 9 Thermidor, Barère and others accused Robespierre of treason, resulting in his arrest. The once omnipotent Jacobin leader was executed by guillotine on July 28, 1794. Robespierre went from deciding people's fates to having his head under the blade of Madame Razor, as the guillotine was jocularly called, all in the span of one month. This remarkable document thus illustrates the spectacular overthrow of Robespierre.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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