Description:

Ship's Insurance Doc With Double Alexander Hamilton Connection!

A scalloped edge ship's insurance document with an intriguing double connection to Revolutionary War hero and statesman Alexander Hamilton (1755/57-1804). The document is signed by Nicholas Low, a business associate of Hamilton's; and concerned a lost property claim filed on behalf of Nicholas Cruger, who mentored Hamilton on the island of St. Croix in the early 1770s.

The document is partly printed and partly handwritten on watermarked cream laid paper. Dated February 28, 1799. Co-signed by Nicholas Low (1739-1826), President of the United Insurance Company; Joseph Stansbury (1742-1809), Secretary of the United Insurance Company from ca. 1798-1809; Thomas White, one of the insured; and two witnesses, Cholinley Douglas and John Marston. Bearing an embossed "United Insurance Company" paper seal at lower right; an embossed revenue stamp near the top recto; and an embossed notary stamp near the top recto. Docketed by a notary recto. Expected wear including paper folds, some brittle, with breaks, minor closed tears, and occasional loss, and professionally repaired. Isolated discoloration and scattered collector's pencil inscriptions. Else good to very good. 19.5" x 15.25."

An insurance policy dated August 8, 1798 stipulated that the United Insurance Company insured "certain Goods Wares + Merchandizes [sic] laden on board the good Brig Sally whereof A. Masterson was Master upon a voyage at and from Newyork [sic] to Martinique." The insureds were Thomas White and Nicholas Cruger (1743-1800), New York City merchants. This document from February 28, 1799 authorized an insurance payout of $2,500 to the insureds to compensate them for the loss of the brig's cargo.

The First Alexander Hamilton Connection

The United Insurance Company was a joint-stock and incorporated insurance company established by one of New York City's leading merchants, Nicholas Low. In addition to serving as president of United Insurance Company, Low also served as the business agent of Rufus King, U.S. Minister at the Court of St. James's. Low had met Alexander Hamilton in 1783. After 1790, Low heavily invested in marine insurance ventures--such as the United Insurance Company--as well as in land speculation and banking. Low frequently called on Hamilton to handle United Insurance Company litigation, and Hamilton served as the company's general consul in the 1790s.

The Second Alexander Hamilton Connection

The insureds covered on this United Insurance Company policy were Thomas White and Nicholas Cruger. The latter, in the words of one late-nineteenth-century source, "continued the third generation of this eminent race of merchants." Nicholas Cruger was the nephew of John Cruger, mayor of New York City, and the first president of the New York Chamber of Commerce. In the mid to late 1760s, Nicholas Cruger moved to Christiansted, St. Croix where the 12-year-old Alexander Hamilton soon became apprenticed at Cruger's firm. Nicholas Cruger appointed Hamilton as acting chief of operations during the former's trip to New York City in 1771. Six pieces of correspondence exchanged between Nicholas Cruger and Alexander Hamilton dating from 1771-1772 are listed in the Founders Online database, National Archives.

The other insured, Thomas White, was most likely the son, nephew, or grandson of Thomas White (1724-1781), one of the most prominent New York City merchants of the colonial, pre-Revolutionary War period. According to the same late-nineteenth-century source, the elder Thomas White was a "large importer of European and East India goods" and one of 20 leading merchants to form the New York Chamber of Commerce in 1768. The elder Thomas White's property was confiscated in 1779 because he was a Loyalist, but the younger Thomas White could have recouped some of the family's mercantile holdings in the 20-year period between 1779 and 1799.

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.

June 22, 2022 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