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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

Bird, Henry Merttins (1755-1818) to Henry Knox

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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.05146 Author/Creator: Bird, Henry Merttins (1755-1818) Place Written: London, England Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 7 September 1791 Pagination: 2 p. : address : docket ; 22.3 x 18.3 cm. Order a Copy

Includes copies of two letters. The originals were written in London. First letter written on 7 September and second letter on 5 October. The first letter says "I have not been deceived in my expectations that the American Stock would rise our house having within this week sold large quantities of it at 107 1/2 percent & there is no reason to doubt that it will shortly get up to 110." Encourages Knox to send stocks to England for sale. Says Bird Savage & Bird has sold $175,000 worth of 6 percent stock in the last 5 weeks. The second letter says his mercantile house has continued to make large sales of the stock. Claims to have disposed of $300,000-400,000. Notes their firm has several "schemes on foot" for the purchase of more stock, and asks Knox not to tell others of the prices. In secrecy tells him the prices are "115 pCt or 23/ in the pound for the 6 pCts & 70 pCt to 72 1/2 pCt for the 3 pCts & defer'd." Says their prices have been higher than American prices and people who sent stocks to England have made "handsome profits."

Bird, Henry Merttins, 1755-1818
Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

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