Lot 412 - ANTIQUE 19TH C BRITISH HER MAJESTY PATENT W SEAL IN BOX

An antique 19th-century British Letters Patent, a formal legal document granted by the monarch to an inventor. The folded parchment features the name of Alfred Vincent Newton. It is marked with the number 2961 and contains text. The massive yellow disc is the Great Seal of the Realm. Attached by a red and white cord, this wax seal was the official symbol of the Sovereigns approval, making the patent a legally binding open letter. The circular metal container is known as a skippet. Its sole purpose was to protect the fragile wax seal from cracking or melting during storage and transit. Alfred Vincent Newton 1820 to 1900 was a prominent London-based patent agent and mechanical draughtsman. He was a key figure in the 19th-century patent system. He was an authority on the subject, publishing the influential book Patent Law and Practice in 1879. He often acted as a middleman, filing patents on behalf of international inventors to secure their rights within the British Empire. The document and the seal comes with a box, specifically designed to house Letters Patent, featuring a gold-embossed British Royal Coat of Arms. Antique Victorian Document box, Letters Patents, and Home Decor For Collectors.