Archives International Auctions - Auction 117 September 30, 2026

Archives International Auctions - Sale 117 76 September 30, 2026 Archives International Auctions www.archivesinternational.com Ephemera - Historic Scandals & Scams Mosquito Territory (Honduras), 382 382 Honduras. Poyaisian Land Grant, 1834 Class K Land Grant for 20 Acres, I/U Signed by Sir Gregor MacGregor Mosquito Territory (Honduras), (Issued in Great Britian), 1834 I/U Poyaisian Land Certificate, Class K, Land Grant for 20 Acres, S/N 202 signed by Gregor MacGregor. Black text in English and French, with elaborate coat of arms depicted at top center, featuring English and Scottish flags. Fine to VF condition with some slight toning and staining, especially along fold lines. General Gregor MacGregor (24 December 1786 to 4 December 1845) was a Scottish soldier, adventurer, and confidence trickster who attempted from 1821 to 1837 to draw British and French investors and settlers to “Poyais”, a fictional Central American territory that he claimed to rule as “Cazique”. Hundreds invested their savings in supposed Poyaisian government bonds and land certificates, while about 250 emigrated to MacGregor’s invented country in 1822–23 to find only an untouched jungle; more than half of them died. MacGregor’s Poyais scheme has been called one of the most brazen confidence tricks in history. He devised a tricameral parliament and other convoluted constitutional arrangements for Poyais, drew up commercial and banking mechanisms, and designed distinctive uniforms for each regiment of the Poyaisian Army. His imaginary country had an honours system, landed titles, as well as a coat of arms. A French court tried MacGregor and three others for fraud in 1826 after he attempted a variation on the scheme there, but convicted only one of his associates. Acquitted, MacGregor attempted lesser Poyais schemes in London over the next decade. In 1838, he moved to Venezuela, where he was welcomed back as a hero. He died in Caracas in 1845, aged 58, and was buried with full military honors in Caracas Cathedral. Rare piece of history from an infamous scandal. ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Est. $400-600 383 383 Honduras. Poyaisian Land Grant, 1834 Class G Land Grant for 100 Acres, I/U Signed by Sir Gregor MacGregor Mosquito Territory (Honduras), (Issued in Great Britian), 1834 I/U Poyaisian Land Certificate, Series G Land Grant for 100 Acres, S/N 1217 signed by Sir Gregor MacGregor. Black text in English and French, with elaborate coat of arms depicted at top center, featuring English and Scottish flags, also in faint watermarks at top. Fine condition with some slight toning, holes, and staining, especially along fold lines. General Gregor MacGregor (24 December 1786 to 4 December 1845) was a Scottish soldier, adventurer, and confidence trickster who attempted from 1821 to 1837 to draw British and French investors and settlers to “Poyais”, a fictional Central American territory that he claimed to rule as “Cazique”. Hundreds invested their savings in supposed Poyaisian government bonds and land certificates, while about 250 emigrated to MacGregor’s invented country in 1822–23 to find only an untouched jungle; more than half of them died. MacGregor’s Poyais scheme has been called one of the most brazen confidence tricks in history. He devised a tricameral parliament and other convoluted constitutional arrangements for Poyais, drew up commercial and banking mechanisms, and designed distinctive uniforms for each regiment of the Poyaisian Army. His imaginary country had an honours system, landed titles, as well as a coat of arms. A French court tried MacGregor and three others for fraud in 1826 after he attempted a variation on the scheme there, but convicted only one of his associates. Acquitted, MacGregor attempted lesser Poyais schemes in London over the next decade. In 1838, he moved to Venezuela, where he was welcomed back as a hero. He died in Caracas in 1845, aged 58, and was buried with full military honors in Caracas Cathedral. Rare piece of history from an infamous scheme and con man............................................................ ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Est. $400-600