Stock share certificate for the Royal African Company
date: label: Date
content: 1691
name: label: Issued by
content: Champion Ashby, British, born 1648
label: Subject of
content: Royal African Company, British, 1672 - 1821
label: Signed by
content: Champion Ashby, British, born 1648
notes: label: Caption
content: The Royal Africa Company, chartered in 1672 by the English government, engaged in trade in gold and enslaved men, women and children in western Africa. This stock certificate demonstrates the investment in the company that provided the greatest number of enslaved persons to the British colonies.
label: Description
content: Stock option certificate from the Royal African Company. The document is handwritten in ink on one page of a bifolio sheet and discusses the transfer of stock shares from Champion Ashby to Thomas Louws (possibly Lowes or Loews). The document begins: [In consideration of Twenty guineys received of Thomas Louws of London XXX I Champion Ashby of London Esquire Do oblige my self [sic] my heires [sic] Execs & Adms to transferr or cause to be ~/~ transferred unto the said Thomas Louws ~ his Execs Adms or ~ assignes Two hundred pounds of the present credit in the Joint Stock of the Royal Affrican [sic] Company of England ...] At the bottom right is the signature and red wax seal of Champion Ashby. At the bottom left is
label: Description
content: [Sealed & Delivered / In the presence of / John Holker / Wm Thorowgood]. On the verso, at the top horizontal center is written: From 3d Aug / to 3d Sept } 1691 / Champion Ashby, Esq. / obligacon [sic] to Tho Loews to deliver / him 200 Afr. Stock paying 200 in 1 month / Void]. There is a circular watermark just below and to the right of "Void."
label: Transcription Center Status
content: Transcribed by digital volunteers
place: label: Place made
content: London, England, United Kingdom, Europe
label: Place depicted
content: West Africa, Africa
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Africa
label: Topic
content: Business
label: Topic
content: Commerce
label: Topic
content: Finance
label: Topic
content: International affairs
label: Topic
content: Law
label: Topic
content: Slavery
label: Topic
content: Trans Atlantic slave trade
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Documents and Manuscripts
label: Exhibition
content: Slavery and Freedom
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 3, C3 053
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Seymour Schulich--Canada
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2017.101
objectType: label: Type
content: stock certificates
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper, wax
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (folded): 12 7/8 × 8 1/8 in. (32.7 × 20.6 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (sheet): 12 7/8 × 16 1/4 in. (32.7 × 41.3 cm)