Description:

Bonaparte Napoleon

Single page letter signed, 7" x 9". Dated " April 29, 1806" and signed by Napoleon Bonaparte as "Nap". The page is clean with strong contrasting ink. Near fine. Matted in a blue suede mat with gilt fillets alongside a color print of Napoleon. Completed mat size of 19.25" x 14". The matted set creates a stunning display.

A letter penned from Saint Cloud, Napoleon's preferred residence, with exemplary content. The letter was written to Comte Francois Mollien, Finance Minister of France, as shown in part:

" … You have paid out for the month of May, disbursements of one million [francs] … You have also made payments on his notes … for the services, either to the War Department of the Navy Department … It is my intention that a separate account be set up for all payments made to this supplier for his commitments … as well as his services … because it is possible that he was compensated in bonds drawn on the Sinking Fund [Caisse d'amortissements] … I prefer to pay them in Vaulernurgh notes, because the Sinking Fund bonds are of greater value … our present financial resource can be increased by several millions … for the Navy and War Departments … I pray the Lord may keep you …"

The sinking fund, a system put in place by numerous governments, provides that any surplus funds from government revenues were to be reserved for paying off both capital and interest so national debt could slowly be abolished. Napoleon, who was very astute in economic policy, maintained the direct tax introduced by the Revolution, but also imposed indirect taxes in the form of unpopular ‘united excises.’ He organized financial administration by centrally appointing receivers general in departments and created the Sinking Fund under Millien to collect and invest on deposits of tax collectors. He also created the Bank of France in 1800 which was designed to function as a private stock company to regularize the monetary market, and also given exclusive right to print paper money to be guaranteed by metallic reserves.

Napoleon actually managed to balance the budget by 1802 but the foreign wars took their toll. Just shortly after this letter was written, France's expenditures doubled (between 1807-13) and by the latter accounted for 80% of public spending. Increasingly the emperor had to resort to extracting money from conquered territories though the institution of the Extraordinary Domain.

(An interesting side note, in the US a 'sinking fund' was established under the Funding Act of 1790 "to pay off the public debt." Administered by high government officers, it drew its funds from surplus revenue from customs duties and $2 million of borrowed money. Alexander Hamilton checked the panic of 1792 by purchasing securities at market rate, below par, for the sinking fund.)

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