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In 1919–1920, Éamon de Valera traveled across the United States to secure political recognition and raise funds for the underground Irish government through bond-certificates. Decades later, following legal settlements regarding the remaining funds, the Irish Department of Finance allowed original bondholders (or their heirs) in the late 1930s to submit their original receipts to exchange them or receive redemption payments—which explains the 1938 correspondence and envelope.
Complete Provenance Chain: It is relatively common to find individual $10 bonds, but finding the initial subscriber receipt (#53341), the transmittal letter, the original bond (#13012), and the 1938 redemption envelope to the exact same person (Jannett G. Waddell) in one intact archive is rare.
Historical Cross-Reference: The handwritten note on the transmittal letter reads "Wrote for exchange March 18, 1938". This directly ties into the postmark on the official Irish Department of Finance envelope dated April 8, 1938, documenting the late-1930s redemption effort by the Irish Free State to pay back original American donors.
Condition: The papers show typical aging and fold lines, but the colors, signatures, stamps, and Celtic border graphics on the bond are clear and well-preserved.
