1778 French Bill Of Exchange Protest

1778 Century French Bill of Exchange Protest Notarial Commercial Manuscript

Original French Merchant Finance Document – Lettre de Change

Offered is an original eighteenth-century French manuscript concerning a lettre de change (bill of exchange) and its formal protest for non-acceptance or non-payment.

Written entirely in French cursive legal hand, the document records the presentation of a bill of exchange, the refusal of acceptance, and the subsequent notarial protest preserving legal rights against the parties involved.

The manuscript contains numerous references to:

Lettre de change (bill of exchange)

Refus d'acceptation

Protestation

Merchants and commercial obligations

Legal notices and attestations

Multiple signatures and endorsements

The reverse contains additional docketing and legal annotations recording the matter for future reference.

Such documents formed the legal backbone of European commerce during the eighteenth century and are tangible survivors of the financial system that supported trade before modern banking.

Details

Original French manuscript

Circa 1770–1800

Commercial law document

Bill of exchange protest

Notarial financial record

Multiple signatures

Iron-gall manuscript ink

Four pages of text

Excellent genealogical and research potential

Condition

Good original condition with expected fold wear, age toning, and minor edge losses. Ink remains strong and the manuscript is fully displayable.

Historical Significance

An attractive and highly collectible example of eighteenth-century European commerce documenting the legal enforcement of a dishonored bill of exchange. An excellent addition to collections of French history, banking history, merchant trade, legal manuscripts, and early financial documents.