The 30 Minute Rule begins July 15 at 7:00 PM EDT. An Initial Bid Must Be Placed By July 15 at 6:00 PM EDT To Participate After 6:00 PM EDT
Watchmaker, inventor, musician, diplomat, fugitive, spy, publisher, arms dealer, and revolutionary (1732–1799) best known for his theatrical works, especially the three Figaro plays. Manuscript DS in French, signed “Caron De Beaumarchais,” one page, 14.5 x 9, October 20, 1785. Document headed "Mr. Baron von Steuben his account with Mr. Caron de Beaumarchais," detailing for the Continental Congress his personal advance of 2,400 livres to Baron Frederich von Steuben for his passage to North America in 1777 in order to assist the Continental Army, plus later accrued expenses. In fine condition.
In 1776, the French government enlisted the famed playwright, financier, and political operator Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais to create a covert channel for sending arms, ammunition, and other war material to the rebelling American colonies without provoking open war with Great Britain. Beaumarchais established the fictitious trading house Roderigue Hortalez & Co., backed by millions of livres from France, Spain, and private investors, with repayment expected through American exports and Congressional settlement. The arrangement proved vital to the American cause, but its secrecy also created lasting confusion: many in Congress came to regard the supplies as outright French gifts, while Beaumarchais insisted they were commercial advances requiring repayment. By war’s end, Silas Deane estimated that Congress owed Beaumarchais more than 3.6 million livres, though Congress repeatedly delayed and disputed the claim.
This account is especially desirable for its direct connection to Baron Friedrich von Steuben, whose arrival in America proved transformative for the Continental Army. In 1777, Beaumarchais advanced 2,400 livres to cover von Steuben’s passage to North America, enabling the Prussian officer to join Washington’s army at Valley Forge, where he imposed discipline and helped professionalize the American forces. By the date of this document in 1785, the original advance had grown substantially through accrued interest, reflecting both Beaumarchais’s personal financial burden and the young republic’s reluctance to resolve its wartime debts. He continued to press his claim without success, and only in 1835—more than three decades after his death—did Congress finally settle with his heirs for 800,000 francs. A superb Revolutionary War financial document linking Beaumarchais’s clandestine support of the American cause with von Steuben’s indispensable service to the Continental Army.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
$150.00
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
Third-party authentication service applies only to signatures and handwriting, and does not cover the addition of sketches, artwork, musical quotations, etc.
