Partly-printed DS, two pages, 10.5 x 17, October 10, 1836. Land Scrip, No. 718, reads, in part: “Dobson Williams of the City of Mobile & their legal representatives are entitled to Six Hundred and Forty Acres of the Public Lands, to be located in the Republic of Texas, agreeably to the conditions contained in a Power of Attorney from the Executive Government of said Republic of Texas to Thomas Toby.” Signed at the conclusion by Toby and W. G. Dewey. In good condition, with moderate separations along the extremely fragile intersecting folds, preventative adhesive repairs to signatures and other portions of both pages to prevent further damage, scattered light toning, and show-through from writing on reverse.
Throughout its time as a republic, Texas had a large amount of debt; it also had a large amount of public domain lands which it tried to sell to reduce its debt. One way to sell the land was through land scrip, which was issued by the Texas government for sale in the US. In June 1836, the Republic commissioned Toby and Brother Company of New Orleans, comprised of brothers Thomas and Samuel Toby, to begin selling Texas land scrip. ‘Toby scrip,’ as it was often called, was sold in the east by subagents employed by the company. In December 1837, the Texas Congress withdrew the Toby and Brother Company's commission. During the company's eighteen months as Texas' scrip agents, they sold over 100,000 acres. The Robert Davis Collection, read more about Robert Davis. RR Auction COA.
