Documents

Lot 3762    Session 12 (11.30am Friday)    Documents

Estimate $500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $3,100

UNITED STATES NAVY BILL, a most important document, produced on the U.S. Fleet Visit to New Zealand and other countries including Australia, as No.1, the third Copy for the U.S. Ship Connecticut (Flagship of the 'Great White Fleet'), issued August 10, 1908, for £80,000: The document states 'At sight of this THIRD of exchange. First and Second of same tenor and date unpaid pay to the order of C.S.Sperry, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, eighty thousand pounds sterling, Value received which place to account of U.S.Navy Department under the head of appropriation General Account of of Advances' signed S.W. Gowan / Pay Inspector, US Navy, Fleet Paymaster; to Seligman Bros, London, England. The document produced by the American Bank Note Co. New York on pink paper printed in black. Reverse states 'Pay to the Order of the Bank of New South Wales' and signed C.S.Sperry / Rear Admiral U.S. Navy. With several folds and small central pin-hole, otherwise fine and probably unique, a most significant United States Naval document.

The 'Great White Fleet' was sent around the world by President Theodore Roosevelt from 16th December 1907 to 22 February 1909. It consisted of sixteen new battleships of the Atlantic Fleet. The battleships were painted white except for gilded scrollwork on their bows. The Atlantic Fleet battleships only later came to be known as the 'Great White Fleet'. The fourteen month long voyage was a grand pageant of American sea power. the squadrons were manned by 14,000 sailors. They covered some 43,000 miles and made twenty port calls on six continents. The battleships were accompanied during the first leg of the voyage by a 'Torpedo Flotilla' of six early destroyers as well as by several auxiliary ships. Two battleships were detached from the fleet at San Francisco and two others substituted. The USS Connecticut was the flagship and was initially under the command of Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans and arrived at San Francisco on May 6, 1908. At San Francisco, Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry assumed command of the Fleet, owing to poor health of Rear Admiral Evans. Leaving that port on July 7, 1908, the US Atlantic Fleet visited Honolulu, Hawaii, Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Manila etc arriving at Suez on January 3, 1909. The fleet continued onto Messina, Naples and Gibraltar arriving at Hampton Roads, Virginia on February 22, 1909 where the Fleet was reviewed by President Roosevelt. This important and probably unique Navy Bill was issued from the Commanding ship USS Connecticut on August 10, 1908 was when the ship was in Auckland and was received by the Bank of New South Wales in Auckland about that date. The note verso was countersigned by Rear Admiral Sperry and adds a important factor to the special quality of what this note represents. It is probably the only surviving Navy Bill note from that 'Great White Fleet' visitation.