Description:

George V Signed South Africa Diplomatic Appointment From 1934, Same Year Act Recognized Country as Independent State

A 1p document signed by King George V (1865-1936) as "George R.I." [Rex Imperator, or King Emperor], at upper left. February 7, 1934. Court of St. James, London, England. Printed on watermarked laid paper. Countersigned by South African Prime Minister J.B.M. Hertzog (1866-1942) as "J.B.M. Hertzog" at lower right. Expected wear including scattered wrinkles and a few smudges mostly affecting the edges. Isolated foxing, else near fine. Currently rolled, but unrolled, measures approximately 21.5" x 17.125."

"George, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India, etc., etc., etc. To All And Singular Our Loving Subjects To Whom These Presents Shall Come, Greeting! Whereas Our Good Friend The President Of The United States Of America Has, By A Commission Bearing Date The Twenty-First Day Of September, 1933, Appointed Allan C Taylor To Be Vice Consul Of The United States Of America At Port Elizabeth'"

The document granted royal approval of an appointment nomination advanced by 32nd U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to appoint Allan C. Taylor, formerly of Addison, New York, as a U.S. Vice Consul at Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha, South Africa, today's most populous city in the Eastern Cape Province.) A 1928 graduate of Harvard University, Taylor had studied in France for a year thanks to a grant funded by the Alliance Fran'aise. He passed the U.S. Foreign Service examination in November 1930, formally entering the diplomatic corps in January 1931. Taylor had served as a Vice Consul at Ottawa from 1931-1932. After his brief assignment at Port Elizabeth, Taylor would serve as U.S. Vice Consul at Cape Town, South Africa (1934-1938).

The Status of the Union Act, a counterpart of the 1931 Statute of Westminster granting more self-autonomy to British Commonwealth nations, was passed during the Summer of 1934 and recognized South Africa as a "sovereign independent state." J.B.M. Hertzog oversaw its policy implementation during his lengthy tenure as Prime Minister of South Africa, from 1924-1939.

George V succeeded his father Edward VII in 1910. Over the course of his 26-year-long reign, George V would shape imperial and domestic British policy during World War I, the rise of Communism and Fascism, and the beginning of both the Irish and Indian independence movements.

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.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

October 18, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000