English: Director-General Peter Stuyvesant's deed for a part of Manhattan, 1654. It is now the Financial District, steps away from Wall St. & NYSE. Co-signed on the rear side by land grantee and secretary of the New Netherland Council Cornelis van Ruijven.

Description on Invaluable: A 1p manuscript document in Dutch signed by Peter Stuyvesant (1592-1672), the last Dutch Director-General of the New Netherland colony, as "p stuyvesant" at lower right. April 16, 1654 (written as "xvi april @ d: [Anno Domini] 1654.") Fort Amsterdam, New Netherland [New York, New York]. The document is neatly secretarially inscribed on vellum and consists of approximately 575 words front and back. Co-signed by land grantee and secretary of the New Netherland Council Cornelis van Ruijven (also spelled van Ruyven) (1630, Amsterdam - ?). With several dockets and endorsements verso dated April 25, 1654, May 27, 1656, and January 27, 1663. A narrow strip of braided vellum, with a red waxy residue, extends from a cut-out near the center. Expected wear including folds and wrinkles. Two small holes located near the center, and a neat isolated closed tear and sheared off corner at lower right. Even toning and scattered stains. Else near fine and quite legible considering its age. 11.25" x 11.5."

Ex-Charles Sigety; ex-Parke Bernet Galleries, "Historical, Musical & Literary Autograph Letters, MSS and Documents From Various Owners Including Property of George C. Richards, Jr. and Mrs. Alice Grailcourt," March 1-2, 1960, Lot 336. Accompanied by extensive background research including summaries translated from the Dutch.

The value of this document cannot be overstated, both because Peter Stuyvesant signatures are rare, but also because the land in question corresponds to real estate found in the present-day Financial District of lower Manhattan. The allotment of land measured over 10,000 square feet (in modern English conversions from Dutch rods) and is situated somewhere near present-day 55 Beaver Street.