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Auction: 317 - The Collector's Series
Lot: 1014

Van Buren, Martin. Eighth President of the United States (1837-1841), 8th Vice President of the United States (1833-1837), Secretary of State (1829-1831) and Rodgers, Alexander Robertson (1807-1885). Rodgers Passport with Travel Documents, 1830. On a four-page official United States travel document set into the book, Van Buren signs as Secretary of State "M. Van Buren". The folio contains numerous ink stamps, notations and validations and has been well used and heavily multifolded. The red leather `passport' book contains a number of pages stamped by police prefectures, legates, consulates, etc. chronicling Rodgers travels through Austria, the Italian states, Switzerland and France from the spring to the fall of 1830. Stamps and validations include Firenze, Bologna, Ferrara, Padova, Vienna, Trieste, Laibach (Ljubljana), Venezia, Milano, Annemasse, Geneva, and Havre. Laid inside are a folio-size official travel document from the police prefecture for the Kingdom of the two Sicilies issued in Naples, March 15, 1830; and from D. Antonio Maria Statella e Nasilli, Prince of Cassaro, etc., issued in Naples in April and valid for 12 days. On a page in the back, is Rodgers note "Sailed from Havre / Oct. 3rd 1830 Arrived at New York / Nov. 4th 1830". After Alexander R. Rodgers admission to the bar in 1828, he spent three years traveling through Europe. The U.S. folio has had much use and has tears and rents on the many folds, but is intact, while Van Buren's signature is bold and unaffected, Very Good. A fascinating early travel document.

Sold for
$400