Early Stock Certificate from Moses Montefiore & Nathan Meyer Rothschild Co-founded Insurance Company

1p partially printed and partially handwritten document signed by British financier and Jewish civic leader Moses Montefiore (1784-1885) as "Moses Montefiore" at lower right. The indenture, or stock certificate, corresponds to shares of the Alliance British and Foreign Life and Fire Assurance Company. Dated January 6, 1825. A deeply impressed three pound revenue stamp is located at upper left, and two red paper seals are located at lower left near Montefiore's signature. Some discoloration and several minor closed tears found along the right edge, not affecting Montefiore's signature. Else clean and near fine. 14.125" x 10.125." Accompanied by an invoice from Scott J. Winslow Associates (Bedford, New Hampshire) listing the sales price of this item on September 20, 1999 as $625.

The Alliance British and Foreign Life and Fire Assurance Company had been founded nearly ten months earlier by Moses Montefiore and his brother-in-law Nathan Meyer Rothschild. Here, company president Moses Montefiore authorized the sale of 25 shares of Alliance British and Foreign Life and Fire Assurance Company stock for £475 to one Francis De Berckem (alternate spelling De Berchem), who is listed elsewhere as a stock broker from Lille.

Moses Montefiore and Nathan Meyer Rothschild had co-founded the Alliance British and Foreign Life and Fire Assurance Company in March 1824 to break the monopoly of Lloyd's of London, who regularly discriminated against Jews. Their company was incredibly successful within a short period of time and still operates today as part of the RSA group.

Montefiore was of Italian Sephardic heritage. His initial forays into investing were disastrous, yet his prospects improved after his marriage to Judith Cohen, whose sister Hannah (Henriette) was married to Nathan Meyer Rothschild, the immensely powerful British Jewish financier. Montefiore and Rothschild were more than brother-in-laws, they were business partners. Montefiore later served as President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and became a Jewish activist and philanthropist.

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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