Description:

One of Lord Horatio Nelson's Last Signed Documents Before His Death at the Battle of Trafalgar

NELSON, HORATIO. Signature, "Nelson & Bronte", 1 p., October 10, 1805, 6.5" x 1.5". Minor creasing, uniform toning, a stray ink mark, else near Fine condition. The document is the subject of an article published in The Manuscript Society's quarterly journal, Vol. 71, No. 1, a printed copy of which is included. PSA/DNA Letter of Authenticity. Accompanied by a full issue of The London Times, November 7, 1805.

This Nelson signed fragment was cut from a larger “pendant sheet”, or signal flag reference sheet, that was distributed to the fleet prior to the Battle, and that was likely retained by Nelson on board the Victory. Inscribed and initialed by Thomas Masterman Hardy in the bottom right corner, “T. M. H.” Written above the signature in another hand is the line, “Given on board the Victory of Cadiz. 10th October 1805”, and below Nelson’s signature, in Hardy’s hand, reads the line, “Taken from the Pendant sheet issued to the Mediterranean Fleet”.

What makes this extraordinary relic most fascinating is the memorial of Thomas Masterman Hardy, the Captain of the Victory, who was present at Nelson’s death. Hardy is best remembered as second principal actor in one of the most famous scenes in English history, at Trafalgar when Nelson gave him his last messages, with the celebrated request "Kiss me, Hardy". Hardy, in command of the Victory, led one of the two columns directly into the Spanish and French fleets exiting the harbor at Cadiz. Nelson, of course, became almost deified at the time; his strategy, and the superior seamanship of the British, assured an overwhelming victory over Napoleon’s fleet and British supremacy in sea power that would last a century.

The accompanying London Times newspaper contains the first dispatches, October 22, of Nelson’s death on October 21, from Vice Admiral Collingwood, Nelsons close friend and most trusted colleague, who with Nelson led the successful attack, as one of the columns of the British fleet intersected the Spanish and French fleets.

VERY SCARCE. One of very few Nelson signed documents in private hands (likely two, thus very rare) dated this close to Nelson’s death in the Battle of Trafalgar.

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

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, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

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.

May 26, 2021 10:30 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