License by Christian VII, King of Denmark and Norway, Duke of Schleswig, Holstein …, in regard of the pay contracts set up with the crew for voyages to East and West India or other long voyages, as also of the obligation of the skippers or shipowners in respect of the sailors to be brought back, for the Duchies Schleswig and Holstein, the Principality Pinneberg, County Rantzau and City of Altona. Given Christiansburg March 12, 1783. In German. Copenhagen, P. M. Höpffner, (1783). Sm. 4to. 4 unnumbered ll. With royal coat-of-arms woodcut vignette on the title, woodcut initial and L(oco) S(igilli) mark together with small elephant pendant (from the Order of the Elephant as the highest Danish order) as well as printed royal signature and those of Schack and Rathlou and the clerks Carstens, Schütz, and Krück.

“ All crew which … goes with independent ships to East and West India, or on other far voyages, shall be … hired by the Wasserschout, in accordance with the instruction issued to this under June 30^th, 1752, also this shall draw up in triplicate a hire contract or so-called muster-roll, the execution of which on unstamped paper We permit henceforth … This instruction shall not only apply to Copenhagen in general, thus without exception to the West Indian Trade Company, the Asian Company commissioned by Us, and the individual East India dispatchers of equal rights with the Asian Company, they may have the crew going with their ships be hired by the Wasserschout or by their own servants … but We also wish most graciously that it likewise shall be common law for all Our subjects who own or navigate ships which go for the aforesaid far distant waters. ”

Further for every sailor who does not return from such voyages for other reason than for death or desertion – as far as “there was no real cause given for desertion” – the shipowners and skippers resp. have to pay a penalty.

On the full, on all sides untrimmed, twice folded sheet of laid paper. – Paraph and date of the same day on the title upper left. – Upper left and lower right corner each somewhat browned by age, on the left quite feeble water-streak practically perceptible on the white final leaf and beside the Loco Sigilli mark only. Otherwise of fine freshness.
Offer no. 28,839 / EUR  148. (c. US$ 223.) + shipping