Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction June 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/15/2016
The signatures of Queen Victoria and Frederick Arthur Stanley, the namesake of the Stanley Cup, adorn this official Military Commission from 1878. Although he never witnessed a championship game, the man later known as Lord Stanley of Preston, Governor General to Canada and the Earl of Derby, purchased a trophy bearing his name that has become the symbol of professional hockey supremacy. As Lord Stanley died in 1908, his autograph is usually absent from even the most complete of HOF collections. This 138-year-old original document on 12" x 15 3/4" thick linen paper has been elegantly signed at the bottom "Fred Stanley" and dated April 22, 1878. The Queen has made her mark at the top left, adding a massive three-inch long "Victoria R." in flowing fountain pen ink.
Much rarer than a cut signature or an autographed letter, this wonderful and scarce find has been witnessed in vintage ink by the namesake of our most treasured trophy and also by arguably Britain's greatest ruler, Queen Victoria. It promotes John Stevens Guille to the rank of second lieutenant and Stanley has co-signed as Secretary of War, an office he held from 1878 to 1880. With expected creases from being folded vertically in quarters, it does exhibit handling in the form of very light stains, primarily around the edges, though its display and historical value is not diminished. An interesting and ironic historical note: Lord Stanley witnessed his first hockey game at the Victoria Skating Rink, named after his Queen, in Montreal in 1889 and the building bearing her name also witnessed the very first Stanley Cup playoffs in 1894. In essence, the piece has been signed by two early and important hockey figures!
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