Check Signed by One of the Greatest Minds of the 19th Century

Book Description

Bowditch was an American mathematician and astronomer who discovered the Bowditch curves, which have important applications in astronomy and physics. In 1802 he published The New American Practical Navigator, based on Moore's book, which was adopted by the Department of the Navy and went through sixty editions. He was president of the Essex Fire and Marine Insurance Company of Salem, an actuary for the Massachusetts Hospital Life Insurance Company of Boston, and was president of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. DS. 1pg. 6 ¼" x 2 ¼". July 24, 1823. Boston, MA. A check signed "Nathle Bowditch" for "twenty five hundred twenty eight dollars 36/100." Of notable interest is the fact that Bowditch, in 1823, had just recently moved to Boston from his previous residence in Salem, MA to be the actuary of the Massachusetts Hospital Life Insurance Company. The handsome salary they gave him allowed him to publish his phenomenal translation of Laplace's Mecanique Celeste. Issued on an "Office of Discount and Deposit of the Bank of the United States, Boston" official check, the document has light staining, a punch hole and a mounting strip to the verso

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