Amateur sleuths traced stolen Cortés papers to U.S. auctions. Mexico wants them back


  • World
  • Thursday, 13 May 2021

FILE PHOTO: A Hernan Cortes letter, signed "El Marques", to his mines administrator Pedro de Castilleja is seen in Mexico City, Mexico July 20, 2010. Archivo General de la Nacion AGN/Courtesy of Maria del Carmen Martinez/Handout via REUTERS

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - In September, a New York auction house had a rare treasure up for sale: a five-centuries-old letter revealing political intrigue involving Hernán Cortés, the famed leader of the Spanish force that colonized what is modern-day Mexico.

Cortés papers seldom come to market. The 1521 document, offered by Swann Galleries, was expected to fetch $20,000 to $30,000. That is, until a plucky group of academics in Mexico and Spain helped thwart the sale.

Subscribe or renew your subscriptions to win prizes worth up to RM68,000!

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
   

Next In World

Feature: Women in war-torn Sudan earn living by making sweets
Storm Bert sweeps through UK, leaving 3 dead, hundreds of home flooded
Civil defense in Gaza warns of "humanitarian disaster" due to rainwater
UAE issues federal law to bolster arts sector
Poland's PiS party picks historian Nawrocki for presidential run
Trump adviser vows unity over security during transition
Algerian president approves 2025 budget with 4.5 pct growth forecast
Swiss voters reject more powers for landlords on subletting
Italy's opposition 5-Star breaks with co-founder Grillo
Separatist commander killed in Cameroon's restive Anglophone region

Others Also Read