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Auction: 19022 - Historical Documents, Postal History and Autographs
Lot: 2109

Autographs
Sir William Ramsay
1911-12 four autograph letters written in French from Sir William Ramsay to a French Ambassador showing Sir William Ramsay asking for some help from the Ambassador. Only in later letters it seems that his request is met with resistance due to Ramsay's controversial endorsement of the plans of the Industrial and Engineering Trust Ltd to extract gold from the sea. The scheme bore similarities to an investment scam set up by Electrolytic Marine Salts Company and bought up properties along the British coastline to facilitate the extraction of gold. The company failed to produce gold and disappeared shortly after.
Two letters date from 1911, one on University College note paper and 1912 are signed "William Ramsey"; a fourth, part letter (second page is missing) is on paper headed "La Correspondence Politique de londres".

In Ramsay's letter of the 21st of January 1913 sent from 19, Chester Terrace, Regent's Park, N.W. London he cites in English a previous letter of his that denies his association with the scheme. "Sir, my attention has been called to the fact that I have been said to have published a favourable report on a supposed process for manufacturing gold artificially, and that shares are being disposed of by a French or Belgian syndicate on this rumour; I therefore ask you to be good enough to allow me to state that I have published no such report; and that it appears to me in the highest degree improbable (although as a scientific man I should hesitate to say impossible) that artificial gold will ever be produced. Yours faithfully, W.P."

A rare and valuable group from this very difficult time of the illustrious chemist's life. Photo



Sir William Ramsay (1852-1916), a Scottish chemist of great note. In 1887 he became chair of Chemistry at University College London. In 1904 he received a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in recognition of his discovery of the noble gasses. Then from 1911-1912 he became president of the British Association.

It is reported that In 1905, William Ramsay gave an endorsement to the Industrial and Engineering Trust Ltd. The company aimed to gather gold from seawater. Despite a massive investment along the southern English coast the company predictably failed to produce any gold.

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