Notes and papers on currency

Three items concerning currency, once in the possession of Professor Herbert Somerton Foxwell, as follows.
1. Papers on Japanese currency, namely two tables of, and remarks on, the values of Japanese metal and paper currency, endorsed by Professor Foxwell 'Soyeda on Japanese Currency October 1884', covering the years 1868-1884; a table ('The Annexed Table'), giving values in yen of imports and exports, 1872-1881; letter from Juichi Soyeda, 139 Queen's Road, Bayswater, W.London, written on 5 December 1884, to Foxwell at Saint John's College, Cambridge. The letter is signed 'Yours truly, obedient student. G.Soyeda'. The envelope bears the note in Foxwell's hand 'Japanese Paper Currency. G. Soyeda'. (20 leaves. 7¾" x 5" and 7¾" x 6¼").
2. Copy of a 'Mémoire sur la préférence que l'on doit donner à la Monnoye d'argent sur la Monnoye d'or', Paris, Aug. 1720, and 'Réponse au Mémoire, etc.', undated. This is a typescript copy (carbon) made by Professor Charles Franklin Dunbar in October 1890. Includes numerous notes in Foxwell's hand, including the following: 'This manuscript was part of a volume of tracts etc. relating to Law & the Mississipi Scheme, unfortunately bought by [Dr] Bonar, & sent to Harvard during a week of vacation when I was away from Cambridge. I tried in vain to buy or exchange it back, but Profr. Dunbar kindly got this copy made of one item in the volume'. (17 sheets. 7¾" x 9").
3. Two letters, both written by F.B.Forbes, 57 Rue Pierre Charron, Paris, on 13 April 1893 to Foxwell at Saint John's College, Cambridge. The letters and envelope are in an envelope bearing in Foxwell's hand 'F.B.Forbes. April 1893. Effect of sales of Council Bills on Price of Silver'. (8 sheets, 10¼" x 7¾" and (the second letter) 2 leaves, 6½" x 4¼").

Herbert Somerton Foxwell (1849-1936) was born and grew up in Shepton Mallet in the Mendip Hills in Somerset, where his father had a business as an ironmonger and slate and timber merchant. At the age of 12 he went to the Wesleyan Collegiate Institute (later Queen's College), Taunton. He passed the London matriculation examination at the minimum age, and obtained the London External B.A. degree when only 18 years of age. He went to Saint John's, Cambridge, in 1868, where he was made a Fellow in 1874. He was associated with Saint John's for the rest of his life, holding his College lectureship for sixty years.
Cambridge was Foxwell's University, but his work in London was even more extensive and continued from 1876 to 1927. He succeeded his friend Stanley Jevons to the Chair of Economics at University College, London in May 1881 - an appointment he held until 1927. He became Newmarch Lecturer in statistics at University College and lecturer on currency and banking from 1896 at the newly founded London School of Economics. In 1907 he became, jointly with Edward Cannan, the first Professor of Political Economy at the University. His last appointment, which ended in 1931, was as external examiner of the University of Wales.

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Bought from Mrs Grassman in 1967. MS 713 was part of the same purchase.

Collection level description.

As shown in the Scope and Content.

Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

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