Extremely Rare 1878 Gettysburg “Battle-field Prospect Tower” Loan Certificate / SOLD

Description

Extremely Rare 1878 Gettysburg “Battle-field Prospect Tower” Loan Certificate 

 

An extraordinary and possibly unique surviving example of an 1878 Battle-field Prospect Tower certificate loan—an early financial instrument issued to fund the “Tower of Observation” on Cemetery Hill at Gettysburg. The only example we have ever encountered. This beautifully printed certificate, valued at $10, entitled the holder to interest payments as well as permits for admission to the observation tower, one of the earliest organized efforts to create structured visitor access to the Gettysburg battlefield.

 

Dated April 1, 1878, the certificate promises repayment on April 1, 1888, with 4% annual interest, payable semiannually. Even more impressively, it retains 18 Tower Coupons, each worth “20 cts convertible into Permits,” spanning dates from 1879 through 1888. 

 

The engraved header, titled “Battle-field Prospect Tower”, features early battlefield imagery and elegant period typography. The certificate is boldly signed by trustee Wm. R. Smith of Gettysburg. Documents related to the short-lived Tower of Observation are virtually never seen, making this example of exceptional historical and collector significance.

 

A truly exceptional artifact from the earliest years of battlefield preservation and tourism at Gettysburg. This piece bridges the gap between postwar commemoration, battlefield development, and early visitor infrastructure—offering collectors a rare opportunity to own a foundational document of Gettysburg’s memorial landscape. The only example we have encountered.

 

Comes housed in 12 x 16 riker display case with blue velvet and descriptive card. 

 

Inventory Number: GET 540