1908 French Bill of Exchange – L. Veyret & Cie, Lyon

Original French bill of exchange dated 20 June 1908, issued in Lyon by L. Veyret & Cie, a specialist business in watchmaking, jewellery, optics and related supplies.

This attractive early 20th-century commercial document features a highly decorative teal-green printed letterhead for L. Veyret & Cie, located at 32 Rue de la République, Lyon.

The letterhead advertises a wide range of activities including watchmaking, jewellery, eyewear, optics, phonographs, tools and wholesale supplies, offering a fascinating glimpse into the commercial life of Lyon at the beginning of the 20th century.

Completed by hand, the bill was addressed to Salvat Fils, a hardware merchant in Seyne-les-Alpes, Basses-Alpes.

Numerous original banking and commercial markings remain visible across the document, including Crédit Lyonnais stamps, Marseille processing marks, handwritten endorsements and an original 5-centime French fiscal stamp.

The reverse retains further endorsements, signatures and banking stamps, documenting the successive circulation and processing of the bill through the French commercial banking system.

Its elegant Art Nouveau-inspired typography, specialist trade history, manuscript entries and layered bank markings give this document particularly strong decorative appeal.

A fascinating piece of French banking ephemera and Lyon trade history, ideal for collectors of antique commercial paper, watchmaking memorabilia, historic financial documents and illustrated French ephemera.

Details
Origin: Lyon, France
Date: 20 June 1908
Company: L. Veyret & Cie
Address: 32 Rue de la République, Lyon
Trade: Watchmaking, jewellery, optics, eyewear, phonographs and wholesale supplies
Document: Original bill of exchange / commercial draft
Recipient: Salvat Fils, Seyne-les-Alpes, Basses-Alpes
Features: Decorative illustrated letterhead, handwritten entries, bank stamps, endorsements and fiscal stamp
Language: French
Period: Early 20th century
Dimensions: 26.5 × 10 cm (10.4 × 3.9 in)

Condition

Very good antique condition with normal signs of age and commercial use, including light toning, handling marks and period annotations. Handwritten entries, banking stamps, endorsements and fiscal markings form part of the document’s original commercial history. Please refer closely to the photographs for condition and details.

Please note: the frame and decorative accessories shown in styled photographs are for display purposes only and are not included in the sale.