1822 dated Russian Loan 5% Uncanceled 720 Roubles Bond signed by Nathan Mayer Freiherr von Rothschild - Autograph Bond

720 Roubles, £111 Sterling, 5% Interest Russian Perpetuity Loan Bond. Signed by Nathan Mayer Freiherr von Rothschild (16 September 1777 – 28 July 1836).

Born in 1777 in Frankfurt am Main, Nathan Mayer Rothschild was the third son of Mayer Amschel Rothschild, the architect of the family’s international banking dynasty. At the age of 21, in 1798, Nathan moved to England, initially settling in Manchester to establish a textile trading business. His exceptional financial acumen soon led him to London, where he founded N.M. Rothschild & Sons in 1811. Nathan’s strategic shift from goods to financial instruments, particularly foreign bills and government securities, became pivotal in the family’s “five arrows” strategy. This strategy linked the financial markets of London, Paris, Frankfurt, Vienna, and Naples.

Nathan’s legacy was further solidified during the Napoleonic Wars. He played a crucial role in funding the British war effort through a private network of couriers. Nathan managed the transfer of gold to the Duke of Wellington’s armies and provided financial support to Britain’s allies. His remarkable success at the Battle of Waterloo exemplified his influence. His superior intelligence network allowed him to receive news of the victory before official government couriers arrived. However, historians now view the popular myth of him “crashing the market” to buy cheap stocks as a later exaggeration. By the time of his death in 1836, Nathan had become one of the wealthiest men in the world. The Austrian Empire granted him the title of Freiherr (Baron), further cementing the Rothschild name as a symbol of global high finance.