Lot 830

Description

Wax impression of about half of the first Great Seal of New South Wales, diameter approx. 110mms, by design approved by George III in August 1790. The part Latin inscription from Virgil draws the analogy between the foundation of Rome by a band of robbers and the settling of the new colony of New South Wales by convicts. The scene depicting Industry (or Britannia) seated receiving the new arrivals (convicts) a church and fort on the hill in the background (only part discernable). The design is well known as the 'Sydney View' of the first 1850 issue of postage stamps in NSW. This seal was used from 1791-1817 (see Gullick, W. A., 'The Seals of New South Wales', Sydney 1921, page 3-6, and 'Etruria' by King R.J., in the N.A.A. Journal Volume 5, pp.3-8). The seal, has attached a portion of a ribbon, it is broken and only a large fragment (about 40%) or the original seal survives, good and extremely rare.

This lot comes with a detailed newspaper column on the Great Seal by P.C. Mowle, which for the illustration used is not correct (correct illustration is in King p.3). The seal comes from a grant to Thomas Laycock, from Francis Grose the Lieut. Governor of NSW, (Dec. 1792 - Dec. 1794), and dated 25/2/1793 for land of area 80 acres and 1 rood, at Parsley Bay, (known later as Laycocks Farm and also later the site of Vaucluse House). Thomas Laycock's career developed from a sergeant in the New South Wales Corps in 1789 to quartermaster in January 1791, and then to Deputy-Commissary after Thomas Freeman's death in November 1794, He died in 1809 and his life is outlined in Australian Dictionary of Biography Vol.2 1788-1850 (p.97). Only a few impressions are known one is in the Newcastle City Library another is in the Mitchell Library, Sydney.