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King Philip IV of Spain Signed Decree. ...
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Description
King Philip IV of Spain Signed Decree. Three pages of a bifolium, 8" x 12", Madrid; April 5, 1653. Royal decree issued to Luis Enríquez de Guzmán, Count of Alba and Viceroy of Peru, regarding the administration of a mercury mine in New Spain (Mexico). Signed, "Yo el rey [I the King]."This decree attempts to resolve a jurisdictional issue between two different viceroys, one regional Mexican official, and two local miners. Prior to becoming Viceroy of Peru in 1655, Guzmán served in the same position in New Spain where he oversaw all colonial affairs in the territory. This included the discovery of a mercury mine in the early 1650s, of which he promptly notified the Crown. Due to a bureaucratic backlog, Philip IV got around to addressing it years later after Guzmán had moved on to Peru. The Crown resolved the jurisdictional issue by placing a local official in charge of the mine's administration and sending two mining experts from Peru to evaluate the viability of the deposits.
Mercury was fundamental to the refinement of gold and silver throughout the Spanish colonial period. At the time, ruling monarchs relied primarily on mines located in Almadén, Spain and Huancavelica, Peru. Mining in New Spain centered almost entirely around the highly lucrative silver mines in San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, and Zacatecas. Though mercury deposits existed in Mexico, a general lack of manpower and metallurgical specialists prevented the full exploitation of local sources until the late eighteenth century. It is unusual, then, that Guzmán reported the mine's existence when he did.
Condition: Creased along folds. Minor paper loss to all margins of the integral page, affecting text. Pencil notations on integral page recto. Minor staining to margins of both pages.
Auction Info
2023 September 21 Historical Manuscripts Signature® Auction #6272 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
September, 2023
21st
Thursday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 18
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
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